Cyclone Batsirai: Over 45,000 displaced as powerful storm pounds Madagascar; 95% of city destroyed, says resident
The destructive Cyclone Batsirai, which means help in the Shona language, was the second to hit Madagascar in two weeks, compounding the woes of the locals
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Ten dead, almost 45,000 displaced, trees uprooted, and destroyed buildings. Cyclone Batsirai wreaked havoc when it struck Madagascar on Sunday. The cyclone later weakened but not before wreaking havoc in the poor Indian Ocean island nation which is still reeling from a deadly tropical storm earlier this year. AFP
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The cyclone with gale-force winds reaching peaks of 145 miles per hour, made landfall near Mananjary, 500 kilometres (310 miles) east of the capital Antananarivo, according to the island’s meteorology department. The cyclone caused widespread damage by blowing the roofs off homes, knocking down trees and utility poles, making roads impassable and flooding many areas. The cyclone also caused damage at a cemetery in the eastern town of Mahanoro. Several graves were ripped open, exposing their bodies and some others. AFP
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According to residents, Mananjary was completely destroyed. One man, Fana, was certain “almost 95 per cent of the city” has been destroyed. AFP
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The damage from the storm compounded the destruction wreaked by Cyclone Ana, which hit the island two weeks ago, killing 55 people and displacing 130,000. AP
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Batsirai, which means help in the Shona language, was classified as a dangerous storm. As a precaution, 22,000 people had been evacuated to gymnasiums, schools or churches, especially around Mananjary, on the east coast. AFP
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The World Food Programme, citing estimates from national authorities, said around 595,000 people could be directly affected by Batsirai, and 150,000 more might be displaced because of new landslides and flooding. The storm poses a risk to at least 4.4 million people in total, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said. AP
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