A slow-moving cyclone that unexpectedly changed direction towards Madagascar has caused the deaths of 11 individuals in the country. The strong winds brought down trees, and heavy rain led to floods that washed away houses, according to officials.
Cyclone Gamane was initially expected to pass near the island in the Indian Ocean, east of southern Africa. However, it altered its path and hit the northern part of the island on Wednesday, according to the BNGRC national disaster management office.
Authorities reported that six people drowned and five others died due to collapsed houses or falling trees. They also stated that about 7,000 people on the island were impacted by the storm.
The slow movement of the cyclone made its destructive impact even worse.
Video footage showed floods flowing through villages and individuals forming human chains in waist-deep water to assist those trapped in their homes to escape the deluge.
Numerous roads and bridges were submerged and inaccessible.
General Elack Andriakaja, the director general of the BNRGC, told AFP, “It’s unusual to have a cyclone like this. It almost stopped moving.”
He added, “When the system stops in one place, it destroys all the infrastructure, which has serious consequences for the population, causing significant flooding.
The low-pressure system was predicted to pass close to the northeast coast of Madagascar, but due to a change in trajectory, it eventually hit the Vohemar district at 5:45 am on Wednesday, he said.
Gamane has been downgraded to a tropical storm and was anticipated to depart from the island on Friday afternoon, according to meteorologists.
The cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean typically occurs from November to April and brings about twelve storms each year.
In December 2023, eight individuals lost their lives in severe floods as Cyclone Michaung was set to make landfall in India’s southern city of Chennai.
AFP
