Cyclone Freddy death toll in Malawi crosses 500

The death toll from Cyclone Freddy in Malawi has risen to 507, with another 1,332 people injured, according to latest figures released on Wednesday.

"The number of reported missing persons has increased to 537 from 427," the country's disaster management agency said in an update.

More than 500,000 people have been displaced and over 100,000 homes destroyed since the storm began battering southern Malawi on March 12.

In an address to lawmakers in the capital Lilongwe, President Lazarus Chakwera urged all parties to "put aside politics and join hands" to help citizens rebuild their lives.

He also called for efforts to draw up a law to bolster disaster management and preparedness in Malawi.

Catherine Gotani Hara, speaker of the National Assembly, termed the impact of Cyclone Freddy "a disaster of unimaginable proportion."

"The impact goes far beyond the terrible loss of human life," she said, stressing the need for swift relief and rehabilitation operations.

The cyclone has also impacted neighboring Mozambique, where at least 76 people have died and more than 33,000 houses were destroyed.