Cyclone Gezani Devastates Madagascar: At Least 20 Dead in Toamasina
A powerful cyclone tore through Madagascar this week, leaving a trail of destruction and claiming at least 20 lives. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on February 10, striking the port city of Toamasina with ferocious winds reaching 250 kilometers per hour.
'Total Chaos' in the Aftermath
Officials from the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management described the situation in Toamasina as 'total chaos'. The cyclone flattened homes, uprooted trees, and snapped power lines, plunging entire neighborhoods into darkness. Rija Randrianarisoa, head of disaster management at Action Against Hunger, reported that approximately 90% of house roofs had been blown off, either entirely or partially.
Residents shared harrowing accounts of the storm's violence. 'I have never experienced winds this violent,' said Harimanga Ranaivo, a local resident, in an interview with Reuters. 'The doors and windows are made of metal, but they are being violently shaken.' Many of the victims were killed when their houses collapsed under the immense force of the winds.
Emergency Response and Evacuations
In response to the catastrophe, emergency teams swiftly evacuated dozens of injured individuals and hundreds of residents from the most affected districts in Toamasina, a city home to about 400,000 people. Ahead of the cyclone's arrival, authorities had taken precautionary measures, including closing schools and preparing emergency shelters.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who assumed power in October, visited Toamasina on Wednesday morning to personally assess the extensive damage. The disaster management office continues to coordinate relief efforts as the community grapples with the aftermath.
Cyclone Season and Historical Context
Cyclone Gezani marks the second major storm to hit Madagascar this year. Just ten days earlier, Tropical Cyclone Fytia struck, resulting in 14 fatalities and displacing more than 31,000 people, according to the United Nations humanitarian office. The cyclone season in the Indian Ocean around Madagascar typically spans from November to April, with around a dozen storms occurring each year.
Meteorological services reported that Cyclone Gezani weakened to a moderate tropical storm as it moved inland, approximately 100 kilometers north of the capital, Antananarivo. The storm is expected to cross the central highlands before moving out to sea into the Mozambique Channel.
Regional Cyclone Impact
This disaster follows another recent cyclone tragedy in the region. Cyclone Chido struck Mozambique in December, killing at least 94 people and injuring 768, with over 622,000 individuals affected. That storm, with winds of 260 km/h, ravaged northern provinces before progressing to Malawi and Zimbabwe, highlighting the recurring threat of severe weather in eastern Africa.
The consecutive cyclones underscore the vulnerability of the region to extreme weather events and the critical need for robust disaster preparedness and response systems.
