At least 20 people have died after a powerful cyclone struck Madagascar, says the disaster authority in the Indian Ocean island. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, hitting the island's main port, Toamasina. Madagascar's disaster management office reported that there was total chaos in the impact zone, where many houses collapsed. Neighborhoods were plunged into darkness as power lines snapped while uprooted trees and ripped-off roofs added to the destruction.
The cyclone's landfall is likely to have been one of the most intense recorded around the city, as reported by the CMRS cyclone forecaster on France's Reunion island. The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management noted that many fatalities occurred due to collapsing homes as the cyclone’s winds reached up to 250 km/hour (155 mph).
It's total chaos, 90% of house roofs have been blown off, entirely or in part, said Rija Randrianarisoa, head of disaster management at the Action Against Hunger aid agency. The disaster management office has begun evacuating dozens of injured individuals and hundreds of residents from the Toamasina area, which is home to approximately 400,000 people.
Rescue personnel are working through the debris, and some residents described extreme winds shaking metal doors and windows. Cyclone Gezani is the second cyclone to hit Madagascar this year, following Tropical Cyclone Fytia, which killed 14 people and displaced over 31,000 individuals ten days prior.
In anticipation of the cyclone, officials closed schools and prepared emergency shelters. By Wednesday morning, the meteorological services indicated that Gezani had weakened into a moderate tropical storm and moved westward inland. The new leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who came to power in October, visited Toamasina to assess the damage.
Cyclone season in the Indian Ocean around Madagascar typically lasts from November to April, bringing around a dozen storms annually.
The cyclone's landfall is likely to have been one of the most intense recorded around the city, as reported by the CMRS cyclone forecaster on France's Reunion island. The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management noted that many fatalities occurred due to collapsing homes as the cyclone’s winds reached up to 250 km/hour (155 mph).
It's total chaos, 90% of house roofs have been blown off, entirely or in part, said Rija Randrianarisoa, head of disaster management at the Action Against Hunger aid agency. The disaster management office has begun evacuating dozens of injured individuals and hundreds of residents from the Toamasina area, which is home to approximately 400,000 people.
Rescue personnel are working through the debris, and some residents described extreme winds shaking metal doors and windows. Cyclone Gezani is the second cyclone to hit Madagascar this year, following Tropical Cyclone Fytia, which killed 14 people and displaced over 31,000 individuals ten days prior.
In anticipation of the cyclone, officials closed schools and prepared emergency shelters. By Wednesday morning, the meteorological services indicated that Gezani had weakened into a moderate tropical storm and moved westward inland. The new leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who came to power in October, visited Toamasina to assess the damage.
Cyclone season in the Indian Ocean around Madagascar typically lasts from November to April, bringing around a dozen storms annually.
