LILONGWE, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least 46 people have died in Malawi from lightning strikes or collapsing buildings since the onset of the 2025/2026 rainfall season in November 2025, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) said in a statement released Friday.
Lightning has claimed 26 lives, while collapsing buildings have killed 20 people, with 221 others injured nationwide, according to the statement.
DoDMA said stormy rains, strong winds, flash floods and lightning have affected 39,492 households, or about 177,714 people, in 30 councils across the country.
It added that one displacement camp remains active in the lakeshore district of Nkhotakota, currently hosting 320 households.
DoDMA said it has provided food and non-food assistance to 35,692 affected households, representing 90.38 percent of the total.
The agency warned that the risk of intertropical convergence zone-induced flash floods remains high in lakeshore and other low-lying areas, and said it has put standby arrangements in place for the deployment of national search-and-rescue teams. ■