The death toll from tropical storm Ana has risen to 12 in Mozambique and Malawi, although officials and aid agencies are still assessing the full impact of the storm, Authorities said on Wednesday.

Mozambique’s National Institute for Management and Disaster Risk Reduction said on Tuesday that eight people had died, 54 had been injured and 895 evacuated in the prior 24 hours.

The institute said more than 20,000 people in Mozambique have been affected by the storm, with more than 3,000 homes partially destroyed and over 600 totally destroyed along with several health centres and dozens of classrooms.

It added that drones and boats had been deployed in relief efforts.

In neighbouring Malawi, where the storm led to major power cuts as flooding damaged electricity installations, the district commissioner for Chikwawa confirmed three more deaths, after the disaster department on Tuesday reported death in Mulanje.

Mozambique and other southern African countries have been repeatedly struck by severe storms and cyclones in recent years that have destroyed infrastructure and displaced large numbers of people.

Experts say the storms have become stronger as waters have warmed due to climate change while rising sea levels have made low-lying coastal areas vulnerable.

(Reuters/NAN)