Natural Disasters Claim 39 Lives
Natural disasters have claimed the lives of 39 people during this rainy season so far.
Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) said this in a statement signed by Commissioner for Disaster Charles Kalemba on the status of its response operations.
However, most of the deaths have been caused by lightning as 13 of the 39 were due to falling walls of houses.
“The total number of deaths has also increased from 35 to 39. Out of the total number of recorded deaths, 26 have been caused by lightning strikes while 13 are a result of damaged walls and roofs.
“The recent recorded deaths include two three-months old babies who were struck by lightning in Mzuzu City and Nkhata Bay District. The total number of injuries is now at 483 from 469 with the majority caused by lightning and damaged walls and roofs,” reads the statement in part.
However, in a separate interview, Dodma Public Relations Officer Chipiliro Khamula said the figure of fatalities is more than twice that of the 2023/24 rainy season.
“By this time during the 2023/24 rainy season, we had registered 17 deaths and 67 injuries out of 73,345 affected people,” he said.
The statement further says more people have been affected by natural disasters such as floods, more than twice that of last year.
Reads statement: “Since the onset of rainy season to date (5 March, 2025), the total number of households affected by recurrent disasters mainly stormy rains, hailstorm, strong winds, heavy rains, floods and lightning has increased from 35,661 as reported in our previous updated 7 February, 2025 to 40,178, approximately 180,801 people. Out of the total number of affected households, 809 have been displaced.”
Meanwhile, the department has reached out to 80 percent of the affected households with food and non-food items which include maize, beans, blankets, pails and plastic sheets for temporary roofing.
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