By A Correspondent- The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Gombe in Mozambique has risen to at least 53 from the 7 initially reported.

On Thursday, the National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) said another 80 people have been injured and 400 000 affected by the cyclone.

The INGC also said Gombe had completely destroyed 45 000 homes and partially destroyed 30 000 mainly in the northern and central areas of the country.

Tropical Cyclone Gombe made landfall on the Mozambican coast last week on Friday morning, with wind speeds exceeding 200 km/hr.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said Tropical Cyclone Gombe made landfall as an intense category-3 cyclone.

In January, Tropical Storm Ana killed at least 88 people in Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi and also caused flash floods in Zimbabwe.

Scientists have attributed repeated devastating cyclones in Southern Africa, that used to be relatively rare, to climate change

The warming of the Indian Ocean is believed to be fuelling the cyclones’ intensity.