BLANTYRE: Disaster officials in Malawi are appealing for international help after a powerful earthquake killed at least three people and damaged thousands of homes.
Lilian Ng’oma, the Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, told The Associated Press Monday from northern Malawi that the situation was “pathetic and sad,” with thousands of homes uninhabitable following Sunday’s 6.0-magnitude quake in the Karonga district.
The Malawi Red Cross Society and Ng’oma’s department have provided some tents, but local official Gasten Macheka said many more are needed.
“We need at least 48,000 tents to cater for the 270, 000 people in the district,” he said.
Macheka said 1,111 houses were destroyed by the quake and more than 3,565 were damaged and may collapse. People who have yet to get tents are staying in the open air while water is seen gushing from the ground from broken sewers.
