Cyclone Idai Takes A Heavy Toll: 732 Dead In Mozambique, Zimbabwe And Malawi; Thousands Displaced  

Cyclone Idai, which made landfall in Mozambique’s Beira city on 14 March, has left more than 700 people dead and thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees.

According to an Indian Express report, at least 732 people had been reportedly killed as of Saturday (23 March) in the storm and heavy rains before it hit. Also, the figure is expected to rise further, government and United Nations officials were cited as saying in the report.

After making landfall in Beira city with winds of up to 170 kmph, Idai moved inland to neighbouring countries of Zimbabwe and Malawi, NDTV has reported.

The toll in Mozambique rose from 242 to 417, the country’s Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia was cited in the NDTV report as saying.

"The situation is getting better, still critical, but it's getting better," he was quoted in the report as telling reporters.

Correia was speaking at the airport in Beira that has become a centre for aid operations.

According to the report, the storm has also killed 259 people in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi, 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone.