At least 29 people died and over 83,000 were affected after a cyclone hit eastern Madagascar over the weekend, authorities said on Monday. Twenty-two people were reported missing, according to AFP.
The tropical cyclone, Ava, passed through the Indian Ocean island on Friday and Saturday, with wind speeds of 140-190 km per hour.
“On a national scale, the provisional toll is 29 dead, 22 missing, 17,170 displaced and 83,023 affected,” the National Bureau for Risk and Catastrophe Management said.
The cyclone caused flash flooding in Madagascar’s Capital Antananarivo and the port city of Toamasina. Several homes were without power and roads were blocked by damaged trees.
Vanilla producing areas on the island were unaffected, Georges Geeraerts, the president of the Group of the Vanilla Exporters, told Reuters. Madagascar produces nearly half of the world’s vanilla output, and production was affected when Cyclone Enawo killed 78 people in March 2017.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!