Mozambique's president has described Idai's aftermath as "a real disaster of great proportions." He has spoken of flying over submerged villages and seeing bodies floating in the floodwaters.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/C. Haga
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Cyclone Idai devastates Mozambique and Zimbabwe
The storm is one of the worst disasters to ever hit the area, authorities said. Hundreds of people are missing and the death toll continues to rise.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/D. Onyodi
Beira bears the brunt
Beira on Mozambique's Indian Ocean coastline was the first city to be hit by Idai. The impact knocked out power, flooded roads and brought down homes. The Red Cross, an international charity, described the destruction in Beira as "massive and horrifying."
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/D. Onyodi
Many homes lost
Zimbabwe's eastern district of Chimanimani was the country's worst-hit. Many residents saw their homes washed away by flash floods. Acting Defense Minister Perrance Shiri said the devastation resembled "the aftermath of a full-scale war." In Mozambique, at least 400,000 people were left homeless.
Image: Reuters/P. Bulawayo
Roads and bridges collapse
In both Mozambique (pictured) and Zimbabwe, sinkholes destroyed roads and flash floods washed away bridges. "This is the worst infrastructural damage we have ever had," said Joel Biggie Matiza, Zimbabwe's transport and infrastructural development minister.
Image: DW/B. Chicotimba
Relief efforts underway
The United Nations and international charity groups delivered aid by helicopter to both countries. Zimbabwe's army also brought aid to those they could reach. But many areas were still inaccessible as a result of persistent bad weather. "This is the worst humanitarian crisis in Mozambique's recent history," said Jamie LeSueur from International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/T. Mukwazhi
Death toll climbing
Cyclone Idai might be the deadliest storm to have ever hit Mozambique. President Filipe Nyusi said the death toll could rise to at least 1,000. At least 200 people have been confirmed dead and officials said they expect that figure to rise. "With every hour and day that passes, our worst fears become increasingly real," President Emmerson Mnangagwa said.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J. Estey
Difficulty retrieving bodies
Zimbabwean Local Government Minister July Moyo told reporters at a post-cabinet meeting that the current toll for his country was around 100. "The total number, we were told they could be 100, some are saying there could be 300. But we cannot confirm this situation," he said. "I understand there are bodies which are floating, some have floated all the way to Mozambique," said Moyo.
Image: picture-alliance/S. Jusa
More rain expected
Mozambique said it expects more heavy rain in the next few days and had issued flood warnings. Many residents nevertheless returned to their homes. The "biggest threat we have now, even bigger than the cyclone, is floods because it's raining more and more," said Alberto Mondlane, governor of Mozambique's hard-hit Sofala province.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Onyodi
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The death toll in Mozambique following tropical cyclone Idai could reach 1,000, the country's president said on Monday.
President Filipe Nyusi said he had flown over the affected region, where two rivers had overflowed. "Everything indicates that we can register more than 1,000 deaths," he told Radio Mocambique.
Cyclone Idai could prove to be the deadliest storm in generations to hit the impoverished southeast African nation of 30 million people.
The situation could be far worse in the surrounding areas, which remained completely cut off by road and where houses were not as sturdy, said Caroline Haga from the International Federation of the Red Cross official, who was in Beira.
'Massive and horrifying'
The Red Cross said 90 percent of the city was damaged or destroyed. The cyclone knocked out electricity, shut down the airport and cut off access to the city by road.
The destruction in Beira is "massive and horrifying," said Jamie LeSueur, who led a Red Cross team that had to assess the damage by helicopter because of the flooded-out roads.
"Almost everything is destroyed. Communication lines have been completely cut and roads have been destroyed. Some affected communities are not accessible." A large dam burst on Sunday and cut off the last road to Beira, LeSueur said.
'Worst fears become increasingly real'
Idai moved inland to neighboring Zimbabwe, unleashing fierce winds and flash floods and washing away roads and houses. The official death toll reported by the Information Ministry was 98, with at least 217 more missing; however those numbers were expected to rise.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa cut short a visit to Abu Dhabi to return home on Monday.
"With every hour and day that passes, our worst fears become increasingly real," he said in a statement "Many drowned while others were killed in their sleep from swift and unexpected rockfalls which demolished their homes".
The death toll in Malawi from heavy rains and flooding stood at 56 as of last week. No new numbers have been released following the cyclone's arrival in the country.
Germany's foreign office sent its condolences to the victim's loved ones in a message posted on Twitter. "It is with great shock and dismay that we learned about the situation in Mozambique and Zimbabwe where the cyclone Idai already left hundreds of people dead. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families," the message read.
