Aid workers scrambled to save hundreds trapped by floods around the Mozambican port city of Beira Wednesday, after a powerful cyclone killed hundreds of people and left a trail of destruction across swathes of southeast Africa.

Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique's port city of Beira with winds of up to 105 mph last Thursday, then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, flattening buildings and putting the lives of millions at risk. At least 200 people have died in Mozambique and 98 in Zimbabwe, but the death toll is likely to rise as rescuers are still finding bodies.

Hundreds were clinging to trees or roofs as they waited for rescue teams. Roads in and around Beira were flooded and heavy rain was continuing to fall, complicating rescue efforts and meaning that aid had to be flown in by helicopter or plane. The floods have also brought the threat of waterborne diseases.