At least seven people have been k!lled and over 30,000 affected by Storm Chido in Malawi, disaster officials reported on Tuesday.
The Malawi Department of Disaster Management Affairs’ preliminary assessment revealed the storm caused extensive damage, blowing off the roofs of schools, health facilities, and homes. Department spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula stated that at least 7,721 households, representing 34,741 people, were impacted. The deaths occurred in Salima (three people), Kasungu, Machinga, Blantyre, and Lilongwe (one death each).
Khamula also noted that the storm caused 16 injuries.
Tropical Cyclone Chido formed northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and made landfall near Nacala, Mozambique, on Sunday, causing significant damage. According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the storm affected over 174,000 people in Mozambique and 64,000 in the Comoros archipelago, destroying thousands of homes.
Chido’s remnants passed through Malawi on Monday, bringing heavy rains and flooding to approximately 17 districts, mostly in the south. Lucy Mtilatila, director of the Malawi Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services, informed VOA that the storm had dissipated. “Our eyes are on the Indian Ocean in case there will be another development,” she said. “But so far, so good.”
School classes resumed after the government suspended them on Sunday as a precaution.
Khamula mentioned that the disaster agency has withdrawn all search and rescue teams deployed in at-risk areas. The agency, along with other humanitarian partners, is providing relief efforts to assist affected households.
