Cyclone Batsirai: Second storm in weeks hits Madagascar amid increasing fears of vagrancy
Strong wind and rain hit the east coast of Madagascar on Saturday as Cyclone Batsirai made landfall – the second major storm in less that two weeks.
Gusts of up to 250km/h (155mph) are forecast, and waves up to 15m high.
Many people have been moved to shelters and local officials fear that landslides and flooding could leave tens of thousands more homeless.
Storm Ana caused widespread destruction when it hit the Southern African island nation last month, killing 55 people.
Cyclone Batsirai made landfall at around 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT). Just one hour later nearly 27,000 people had been displaced from their homes, according to the country’s disaster management agency. There were reports of power outages, destroyed homes and fallen trees.
“The winds are terrible. I’ve never experienced this…The waves are very high,” said Hanitra Raharisoa, a resident of Mananjary, a coastal town close to where the storm hit.
Further up the coast, 200 people had crammed into one room in a concrete building in the town of Vatomandry, hoping the relatively sturdy structure would keep them safe.
Clean water is scarce in the town after the utility company switched off supplies ahead of the storm, prompting fears of illness caused by dirty water.
“The government must absolutely help us. We have not been given anything,” said community leader Thierry Louison Leaby.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has prepared food stocks to distribute to those in need, while some people have already been evacuated. The UN has put rescue aircraft on standby.
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