Sub-Saharan Africa
Sputnik brings you all the most recent information, major events, heroes and views, including breaking news, images, videos, analyses, and features.

At Least 18 Killed in Madagascar as Cyclone Strikes Northeast of Country

© Photo Facebook / MPS Faritra AnalanjirofoCyclone in Madagascar
Cyclone in Madagascar - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 30.03.2024
Subscribe
Madagascar has faced an unprecedented number of cyclones in the past two years and also experienced the worst drought in four decades in the southern region, according to the United Nations.
A tropical cyclone Gamane that swept through Madagascar earlier this week has killed at least 18 people and left four others missing, the National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) said in a report on Friday.
The cyclone hit four regions in the north and east of the country: Analanjirofo, Diana, Sava, and Atsinanana.
According to the authorities, the cyclone has also displaced 20,737 people and injured three people.
In total, more than 46,000 Madagascar residents and over 11,000 households were affected by the cyclone, the BNGRC revealed.
An aerial view of a section of Mananjary, Madagascar, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 28.03.2024
Sub-Saharan Africa
At Least 11 People Killed in Madagascar Due to Cyclone Gamane, Reports Say
Gaman made landfall on Wednesday morning north of the coastal town of Vohemara in northeastern Madagascar with average winds of 150 kilometers per hour and gusts of 210 kilometers per hour, the authorities said on Thursday.
The cyclone slowly dissipated on Thursday afternoon, remaining over land but bringing heavy rain and causing flooding in many communities, as well as collapsing roads and bridges in northern Madagascar, the BNGRC added.
On Friday, the President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, accompanied by the Ministers of Health and the Interior, visited the urban municipality of Ambilobe in the Diana region, the area hardest hit by the cyclone, where he met with residents, listened to their concerns and assured them of his support, according to the presidency.

The president's office also stated that additional relief efforts are underway, with four army helicopters being used to deliver food and basic necessities.

The cyclone season in the southwest Indian Ocean typically lasts from November to April and brings more than 10 storms per year.
Early last year, cyclone Freddy and tropical storm Cheneso killed at least 37 people in Madagascar and forced thousands to flee their homes.
Newsfeed
0