South Africa: The death toll has passed 300 as the number of fatalities from Tropical Storm Freddy continues to increase. It has taken authorities in Mozambique and Malawi many days to determine the magnitude of the destruction and casualties.

After originally touching down in late February 2023, the storm tore over Southern Africa over the weekend for a second time. One of the worst tropical cyclones in Africa in recent years, it has one of the longest known in recent years.

Authorities stated late on 15th March 2023 that at least 53 individuals have passed away in the Zambezia province of Mozambique, more than tripling their earlier estimate. Malawi has so far reported 225 fatalities, hundreds more injuries, and several still unaccounted for.

For #TimelapseTuesday, we're sharing three-week imagery of #CycloneFreddy's slow movement across the Indian Ocean to Africa via Europe's #Meteosat9 satellite.

Freddy now holds the world record for “accumulated cyclone energy,” a metric to gauge a cyclone’s strength over time. pic.twitter.com/44xDlYaCrG

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) March 7, 2023

Before hitting Mozambique again, the storm had killed roughly 27 people in Madagascar and Mozambique. This week’s search and rescue operations have been delayed by ongoing rain and power outages since the storm triggered catastrophic flooding that washed away roads, farms, and houses that were buried in mud.

Even though more than 20,000 households have been forced to leave their homes due to the mudslides and flooding, Malawian President Mr. Lazarus Chakwera has called for 14 days of mourning for the victims and the government has promised $1.5 million in help.

While they wait for assistance from the authorities, the locals have organised themselves into groups and have been collecting bodies.

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