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.
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 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.