Cyclone Gezani Devastates Madagascar Killing At Least 31

At least 31 people have lost their lives after a powerful cyclone tore through Madagascar, according to authorities on the Indian Ocean island.

Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the country’s main port city, Toamasina. Madagascar’s disaster management office described the aftermath as “total chaos,” reporting widespread destruction in the hardest-hit areas where victims’ bodies were recovered.

Entire neighbourhoods were left without electricity as power lines were snapped, trees uprooted and rooftops ripped away by fierce winds.

“What happened is a disaster, nearly 75% of the city of Toamasina was destroyed,” said the country’s military leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who took power in October, speaking to AFP.

“The current situation exceeds Madagascar’s capabilities alone,” he added.

According to the CMRS cyclone monitoring center on France’s Reunion island, Gezani’s landfall may rank among the most intense storms recorded near the city during the satellite era, AFP reported.

The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management confirmed that many victims died when their homes collapsed under the force of the storm. Gezani struck Toamasina, Madagascar’s second-largest city with winds reaching 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, in comments to AFP.

Authorities have evacuated dozens of injured residents and relocated hundreds of others from districts surrounding Toamasina, a city with a population of about 400,000.

Residents described terrifying scenes as the cyclone battered the region. “I have never experienced winds this violent… The doors and windows are made of metal, but they are being violently shaken,” Harimanga Ranaivo told Reuters.

Cyclone Gezani is the second major storm to strike Madagascar this year. Just 10 days earlier, tropical cyclone Fytia killed 14 people and displaced more than 31,000 others, according to the United Nations humanitarian office.

In preparation for Gezani’s arrival, authorities closed schools and activated emergency shelters to protect vulnerable communities.

By Wednesday morning, Madagascar’s meteorological service reported that Gezani had weakened into a moderate tropical storm and was moving inland approximately 100km (60 miles) north of the capital, Antananarivo.

“Gezani will cross the central highlands from east to west today, before moving out to sea into the Mozambique Channel this evening or tonight,” the service said.

Cyclone season in Madagascar and the surrounding Indian Ocean typically runs from November through April, bringing around a dozen storms each year, according to AFP.