LILONGWE — The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Chido, which swept through southern Malawi on Monday, have left two people dead and 8,100 homeless, according to Charles Kalemba, commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs.
Kalemba said in a statement on Monday that preliminary reports from more than 15 councils that were affected by the cyclone indicated that two deaths occurred due to collapsing walls of houses, while nearly 1,800 houses had their roofs blown away.
The cyclone also damaged public infrastructure, including health facilities, schools, and government offices in the regions affected, including the national capital of Lilongwe.
The government, through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, the Malawi Red Cross Society, and other agencies, has deployed standby resources for search and rescue operations.
Schools in southern Malawi, which were suspended Monday, reopened Tuesday after the authorities decided that it was safe to do so.
Cyclone Chido has since exited Malawi and is no longer a threat to Malawi, the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services said late Monday.
XINHUA