Cyclone Chido kills 94 in Mozambique

At least 94 persons have died in Mozambique after Cyclone Chido wreaked havoc across the country.

A cyclone is a massive scale air mass characterised by inward spiralling winds accompanied with flooding.

The cyclone hit the country on December 15, with winds of 260 km/h (160mph) and 250mm of rainfall tearing across the country on the first 24 hours.

The storm was said to have struck the northern provinces that are usually affected by cyclones, after  ravaging the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, before progressing to Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

The Mozambique National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) said 768 people were injured and more than 622,000 people affected by the natural disaster in the eastern African country.

The INGC said the cyclone impacted the education and health sector, with over 109,793 students affected.

It noted that 52 sanitary units were damaged, posing risks of access to essential health services.

Daniel Chapo, leader of Mozambique’s ruling party, told local media the government is mobilising support on “all levels” in response to the cyclone.

Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said human activities have contributed to the rise in precipitation linked to tropical cyclones.