Cyclone Batsirai has killed at least 10 people and displaced nearly 48,000 in Madagascar, causing significant destruction and flooding. This is the second major storm in two weeks, compounding the devastation from Tropical Storm Ana, which left many dead and injured across southern Africa. Personal accounts detail the severe impacts on families and infrastructure.
Cyclone Batsirai has devastated Madagascar, resulting in at least ten fatalities and displacing nearly 48,000 individuals. The island nation’s office of disaster management reported these casualties, particularly noting that several victims died when their homes collapsed in Ambalavao, approximately 460 kilometers south of the capital, Antananarivo.
This storm, the second severe weather event in two weeks, made landfall in Mananjary with winds reaching 165 kilometers per hour, uprooting trees and demolishing buildings. Residents reported significant destruction, leading to improvised solutions to secure their roofs against the storm’s ferocity.
Notably, Willy Raharijaona, a technical advisor to Madagascar’s Senate vice president, described the severity of the damage, stating that the city of Nosy Varika was nearly 95 percent destroyed, with substantial structural losses.
The Meteo-France weather service had warned that Cyclone Batsirai presented a serious threat to Madagascar after it affected the nearby islands of Mauritius and La Reunion, leaving around 10,000 residents without power.
Previously, Tropical Storm Ana in late January impacted roughly 131,000 people across Madagascar, claiming nearly 60 lives, mainly in Antananarivo. Batsirai, however, somewhat weakened as it traversed the nation, reducing wind speeds significantly.
Tragic personal accounts emerged following the cyclone, including that of Marie Viviane Rasoanandrasana in Mahanoro, who lost family members as rising seas encroached upon their burial sites. With graves opened by coastal erosion, she expressed the hardships her family faces in trying to give their loved ones a proper burial.
In summary, Cyclone Batsirai has wreaked havoc in Madagascar, tragically resulting in deaths and widespread displacement. This cyclone follows closely on the heels of Tropical Storm Ana, which had similar adverse impacts in the region. The destruction of infrastructure and critical social disruption highlights the urgent need for relief efforts to support affected populations and address the ongoing challenges faced by the island nation.
Original Source: www.aljazeera.com
