Deadly cyclone slams southern Africa

Rescue efforts continued in Mozambique and two other southern African nations on Tuesday after Cyclone Idai struck the region last week, killing more than 200 people. The storm first hit Mozambique late Thursday before moving into Zimbabwe and Malawi. The cyclone damaged a region already suffering from poor communication and transportation infrastructure, delaying aid getting in and news getting out. The United Nations said Idai affected more than 1.5 million people.

Mozambique’s central port city of Beira lost power, and the storm destroyed many homes. Two rivers overflowed, and dams reached 95 to 100 percent capacity. The country officially recorded at least 84 deaths, but Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said the toll could top 1,000. The Zimbabwean government said at least 98 people died there. Authorities imposed a state of emergency in the hard-hit eastern Chimanimani district. Malawi saw at least 56 deaths and severe flooding.

The Tanzanian military airlifted about 238 tons of emergency food to the three countries. Herve Verhoosel of the World Food Program said the group on Monday dropped 4 tons of high-energy biscuits in Mozambique. “This is a major humanitarian emergency that is getting bigger by the hour,” Verhoosel said.