Death toll in Malawi from cyclone Freddy reaches 326

Lilongwe, March 17 The death toll from tropical cyclone Freddy in Malawi has increased to 326, President Lazarus Chakwera announced.

In an address to the nation late Thursday, he also said that number of people injured and those still missing have risen to 201 and 796, respectively, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The number of people displaced has more than doubled to 183,159, as has the number of households displaced, which now stands at 40,702," he said.

The country has set up 317 camps across the stormed region to mitigate the situation, according to Chakwera.

The Malawi leader has re-emphasized the need for more humanitarian support from local and international organisations and individuals, describing the devastation and desperation as "unbelievable and overwhelming."

Meanwhile, local business people have pledged to mobilize up to $1.5 million towards supporting residents affected by the cyclone.

Freddy is the strongest tropical cyclone on record and could also be the long-lasting one, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

On Sunday, it struck Mozambique as a cyclone for the second time in a less than a month after battering the island nation of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, causing severe destruction.

It has been difficult to determine the extent of the damage caused in Mozambique and the number of deaths as power supply and phone signals were cut off in some parts of the affected areas.

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