Cyclone death toll in Malawi rises to 438 with rescue operations underway

BLANTYRE, Malawi -- More bodies have been recovered in Malawi's southern region hit by Cyclone Freddy, bringing the total death toll to at least 438 as of 09:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) Friday, said the country's Department of Disaster Management Affairs.

The death toll rose from Thursday's 326, said the department in its fifth update, adding that approximately 345,183 people (or 79,602 households) have been displaced and 505 camps have been set up to accommodate them.

The cumulative number of injured people has reached 918, with another 282 reported missing, said Charles Kalemba, commissioner of the department.

The commissioner said his department, humanitarian partners and councils "continue to facilitate the provision of relief assistance to affected and displaced households, with search and rescue operations led by the Malawi Defence Force, the Malawi Police Service, the Department of Marine, the Malawi Red Cross Society and communities underway."

He added that the Malawi Police Service has deployed sniffer dogs for search and rescue, and recovered nine bodies in the town of Chilobwe.

Foreign missions, governments, local and international organizations, companies and individuals of goodwill are rendering support to Malawi, after Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera declared a state of disaster earlier in the week, said the commissioner.