Blantyre, Malawi — Authorities have deployed excavators to locate bodies believed to be trapped under the rubble after Cyclone Freddy destroyed houses two weeks ago. The cyclone, which also hit Mozambique and Madagascar, killed nearly 600 people in Malawi and left more than 500,000 homeless.
Charles Kalemba, Malawi’s commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, said the excavators will not only help recover bodies but also clarify the extent of cyclone damage. He told state radio on Tuesday that the decision follows community reports of blood oozing from the debris of destroyed homes. Kalemba dismissed those reports as inaccurate, explaining that the reddish fluid is actually stagnant water containing red algae, not blood.
Rashid White, a traditional leader from Nkulinga village—hard‑hit by mudslides in Blantyre—believes many more bodies remain buried, as most residents in his area are still missing. Government figures show Cyclone Freddy has killed nearly 600 people, with over 500 still missing. President Lazarus Chakwera has urged authorities to account for the missing.
Police, aided by sniffer dogs, have already located several bodies beneath the rubble. Casper Chalera, deputy inspector general of police for operations, said he is coordinating with the Malawi Defense Force in the search. “In some areas we actually need an excavator to sift through the debris and see what we can find,” he said.
Hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the cyclone are now sheltered in more than 500 evacuation camps across southern Malawi. Search and rescue efforts continue, with aircraft from various countries assisting in reaching those trapped in hard‑to‑access locations.
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