The death toll from Tropical Storm Ana, which hit several southern African countries, has risen to 77 and tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes, according to the latest reports Thursday from authorities in Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar.
Governments and relief agencies in the three countries are still assessing the extent of the damage caused by heavy rains that began last week on the coast bordering the Indian Ocean and in the Mozambique Channel.
Some 48 people were killed in Madagascar, 18 in Mozambique and 11 in Malawi. The storm also hit Zimbabwe but no deaths were reported. Tens of thousands of homes were damaged, some collapsed under the weight of the gallons of water that fell in a few days, victims were trapped.
In Madagascar, 130,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. In the capital Antananarivo, gymnasiums and schools have been requisitioned and transformed into emergency accommodation.
In northern and central Mozambique, storm Ana destroyed about 10,000 homes, dozens of schools, hospitals and downed power lines.
