Cyclone death toll climbs as Comoros struggles to restore power

About 63% of the nation's food crops have been destroyed, and there's also been a "significant" loss of livestock.

A man stands on fallen trees that damaged his home in Moroni, Comoros, on Thurs., Apr. 25, 2019 after Cyclone Kenneth hit the island nation of Comoros. As the powerful tropical cyclone is expected to make landfall by early Friday in northern Mozambique, just six weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated the the central part of the country and left hundreds dead. (AP Photo: Anziza M’Changama)

(Bloomberg) — The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Kenneth increased to nine as the Indian Ocean archipelago of Comoros struggles to restore power supplies and torrential rains causes flooding in Mozambique.

At least 182 people were injured by the hurricane-strength storm that swept across the two nations last week, the United Nations humanitarian office said in an emailed statement.

Kenneth was the second cyclone to hit Mozambique in two months, after a previous storm in March left more than 1,000 people dead in the southern African nation, along with neighboring Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Most of Comoros’ inhabitants have been without power since latest cyclone damaged the country’s electricity grid last week, the UN agency said.

“The electricity grid is destroyed throughout the country, leaving the majority of people without power and impacting access to health-care,” it said. About 63% of the nation’s food crops have been destroyed, while there’s also been a “significant” loss of livestock, the agency said.

Damage in Mozambique includes the destruction of at least 35,100 houses, the UN said.

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