Missing Troops From Malawi Storm Rescue Mission

After their rescue boat was carried away on Tuesday in the southern Mulanje region, two Malawian troops are now missing.

According to a military spokesperson quoted by the New York Times, the mission was complicated by a swollen river.

The six-person crew that went to rescue individuals who were left stranded after Tropical Storm Freddy tore through the area included the troops, according to Minister of Local Government Richard Chimwendo Banda.

The minister told Zodiak Online that after the boat broke down en route to the rescue attempt, two additional military and one citizen were able to swim back.

One of the missing soldiers was spotted atop a tree, according to Mr. Banda, and efforts are being made to rescue him.

More than 200 people have died as a result of Cyclone Freddy, a record-breaking cyclone that plowed into the landlocked country in southeast Africa over the weekend.

Most of the fatalities, including numerous child deaths, have been reported in Blantyre, the commercial center of Malawi.

In 10 southern districts that have been the severely damaged by the storm, authorities have delayed the start of classes until Friday and declared a state of calamity.