Cyclone Ana kills 4 in Malawi, leaves country in blackout

Lilongwe, Malawi | Xinhua | At least four people have died in southern Malawi following floods and strong winds induced by tropical cyclone Ana, which has also left most parts of the country in blackout since Monday evening.

Severe damage was inflicted in the southern districts of Chikwawa, Nsanje, Phalombe and Mulanje, causing houses to collapse, key roads to be cut off and hundreds of families to be displaced, according to a statement by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs on Tuesday.

“One person has died in Mulanje and 30 people have sustained various degrees of injuries,” said the statement.

Meanwhile, Commissioner for Chikwawa District, Ali Phiri, confirmed Tuesday evening that three people have died in the district, adding “there are fears that more deaths are likely to be recorded.”

Cyclone Ana has also affected power generation, and most parts of the sub-Saharan country are still without electricity.

The Electricity Generation Company of Malawi said in a statement on Tuesday that over 70 percent of the country’s power generation capacity was not available.

Rescue teams comprising Malawi Police Service, Malawi Defense Force, the Department of Marine, the Malawi Red Cross Society, and other stakeholders are on the ground “to assist in rescuing people feared to be trapped,” according to Malawi’s disaster management department.

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Xinhua