Cyclone Death Toll in Madagascar Reaches 38, Displacement Hits 12,000

Madagascar’s Cyclone Gezani Brings Devastation to Eastern Coast

A cyclone is forecast to make landfall in southern Mozambique on Friday evening, bringing strong winds and rough seas to the region. The storm, which made landfall earlier this week in Madagascar’s eastern coastal city of Toamasina, has caused significant damage and displacement.

According to reports from the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC), at least 38 people have been killed, with six still missing. Over 12,000 others have been displaced due to the storm’s impact. The cyclone brought winds of up to 250km/h, causing widespread destruction in Toamasina, including the collapse of buildings and the loss of roofs.

The city, which has a population of approximately 500,000 people, is severely affected, with over 18,000 homes destroyed or damaged. Authorities have reported that many deaths were caused by building collapses due to inadequate shelter from strong storms. The main road linking Toamasina to the capital, Antananarivo, was also cut off in several places.

France has announced the dispatch of food aid and rescue teams from its Reunion Island to assist with relief efforts. The United Nations’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes due to widespread destruction and disruption.

The cyclone’s landfall was likely one of the strongest recorded in the region during the satellite era, rivaling a storm that occurred in 1994. Gezani weakened after landfall but continued to sweep across the island as a tropical storm until late on Wednesday. It is now forecast to return to cyclone status and make landfall in southern Mozambique on Friday evening.

Mozambican authorities have issued warnings about the approaching storm, urging people to leave the area of expected impact due to violent winds and rough seas. Both Madagascar and Mozambique are vulnerable to destructive storms that blow in off the Indian Ocean.

Source: Al Jazeera