More than two dozen Madagascans have died and tens of thousands have been left homeless since a severe tropical cyclone
made landfall last week and swirled for days off the island’s western coast, official records show. Cyclone Cheneso smashed into northeastern Madagascar 10 days ago
Over the week it tracked southeastwards, extending damage to houses, and schools and cutting off several national roads.
Twenty-five people are now known to have died and 21 others are still missing, according to an update from Madagascar’s Office for Risk and Disaster Management on Sunday.
More than 23,600 houses were flooded and at least 500 others completely destroyed, the disaster management office said in an earlier update on Friday night.
At least 83,181 people have been affected, with nearly 38,000 displaced from their homes. strong winds and triggering downpours that have caused extensive flooding.
It is the first tropical storm of the current cyclone season in Southern Africa – which typically runs from November to April – to hit the cyclone-prone large Indian Ocean island.