Cyclone Freddy hit southern Malawi earlier this month, dumping six months’ worth of rainfall in just six days. This led to floods and mudslides that destroyed homes, roads, and bridges in an unprecedented deluge. As a result, at least 676 people have died, and 538 are still missing.
The police announced on Thursday that the number of people missing are presumed dead after authorities conduct search and rescue operations in some areas that were previously inaccessible. Authorities said the missing people would be declared dead, resulting in a death toll of more than 1,200 people from Cyclone Freddy.
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs said that rescue efforts were scaled back since the possibility of finding anyone alive is slim. The sniffer dogs used in the city of Blantyre were decommissioned, as crews on the ground felt they “had done the best that they could,” according to Disaster Management Commissioner Charles Kalemba.
Cyclone Freddy first hit Madagascar and Mozambique in late February, resulting in the loss of 165 and 17 lives, respectively. Malawi was initially unaffected by the storm but was later hit when the cyclone moved back over the Indian Ocean, drawing more power from the warm waters before making a rare course reversal and hitting the mainland again.
Assuming all missing individuals in Malawi are deceased, the combined death count of the cyclone could approach 1,400 in all affected nations. The United Nations has confirmed 165 fatalities in Mozambique and 17 in Madagascar.