Madagascar Cyclone Death Toll Rises to 38, Over 12,000 Displaced; Mozambique Prepares for Storm. Antananarivo, Madagascar — A devastating cyclone has killed at least 38 people and displaced over 12,000 others in Madagascar’s second-largest city, Toamasina, as the storm’s impact continues to unfold. Cyclone Gezani, which made landfall on Tuesday, has caused widespread destruction, according to Madagascar’s National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC).
The BNGRC reported on Thursday that six people are still missing and at least 374 others have been injured. Gezani hit Toamasina with winds reaching 250km/h (155mph), causing significant damage to the city’s infrastructure and homes. President Colonel Michael Randrianirina declared a national disaster and appealed for international solidarity, noting that up to 75 percent of Toamasina and its surroundings were ravaged by the storm.
Images from the AFP news agency depicted the city of 500,000 people, strewn with fallen trees and roofs blown off buildings. Residents are working to repair their makeshift homes amidst the debris. Over 18,000 homes were destroyed, and at least 50,000 more were damaged or flooded.
Many deaths were attributed to building collapses, as inadequate shelter failed to withstand the storm’s force.
The storm also impacted the Atsinanana region surrounding Toamasina, with assessments still ongoing. France has announced the dispatch of food aid and rescue teams from its Reunion Island, located about 1,000km (600 miles) away.
The United Nations’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) described the situation as “widespread destruction and disruption.”Cyclone Gezani is likely one of the strongest recorded in the region during the satellite era, rivaling Geralda in February 1994, which killed at least 200 people and affected half a million more. Gezani weakened after landfall but continued to sweep across the island as a tropical storm until late on Wednesday.
It is forecast to return to cyclone status as it reaches the Mozambique Channel, according to the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre La Reunion (CMRS), and could strike southern Mozambique on Friday evening. Mozambican authorities have issued warnings about the approaching storm, predicting violent winds and rough seas of 10-metre waves. They urge people in the expected impact area to leave.
Both Madagascar and Mozambique are vulnerable to destructive storms originating from the Indian Ocean. Just last month, Madagascar’s northwestern region was hit by Cyclone Fytia, which killed at least 14 people. Mozambique has also faced devastating flooding from seasonal rainfall, with nearly 140 lives lost since October 1, according to the country’s National Disasters Management Institute.
Further details are expected as assessments continue and aid efforts intensify.
