At least 11 individuals have lost their lives, and hundreds of homes have been demolished as Cyclone Gamane struck northern Madagascar, officials report.
Initially projected to graze the Indian Ocean island, the storm altered its course and made landfall in the island’s Vohemar district during the early hours of Wednesday.
Video footage depicted torrents of water surging through villages, while individuals formed human chains in waist-deep water, attempting to aid those trapped in their homes to escape the deluge.
Tragically, six individuals perished due to drowning, while five others lost their lives as houses collapsed or trees fell.
Overall, approximately 7,000 people have been affected by the cyclone.
In a statement, General Elack Andriakaja, director general of the BNGRC national disaster management office, remarked,
“It’s rare to have a cyclone like this. Its movement is nearly stationary.”
“When the system stops in one place, it devastates all the infrastructure. And that has serious consequences for the population. And significant flooding”, he stated.
The complete scope of the damage remains uncertain as numerous villages in the area have been isolated from the rest of the country, posing challenges for rescue teams to access.
Cyclone Gamane traversed the island with an average wind speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) and accompanied by heavy rainfall. Wind gusts reaching 210 km/h (130 mph) were recorded in certain areas.
Gamane has been downgraded to a tropical storm and is anticipated to exit the island by Friday afternoon, meteorologists reported.
Situated off the southeastern coast of Africa, Madagascar frequently experiences severe weather events.
Just a year ago, tropical Cyclone Freddy wreaked havoc on the country, as well as neighbouring mainland countries such as Mozambique and Malawi, resulting in the loss of over 500 lives.
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