Hurricane Gamani kills at least 18 people and displaces thousands in Madagascar

A tropical cyclone that hit the island of Madagascar this week has killed at least 18 people and displaced thousands, the country’s disaster management office said on Friday.

Tropical Cyclone Gamani, which swept through northeastern Madagascar on Wednesday and Thursday, displaced more than 20,000 people, the National Risk and Disaster Management Agency (BNGRC) said in a report. Three other people were injured and four are still missing, the statement added.

Gamane made landfall north of Vochmal in northeastern Madagascar on Wednesday morning with average winds of 150 kilometers per hour and gusts of 210 kilometers per hour, the BNGRC said late Thursday.

The disaster management office said the hurricane slowly dissipated Thursday afternoon while still over land, bringing heavy rain and causing flooding in many places.

Roads and bridges collapsed in northern Madagascar, BNRGC said.

Photos posted on the Disaster Management Office’s Facebook page showed its staff wading knee-deep in water to help residents retrieve belongings from flooded homes.
Gamane marks the first time Madagascar has experienced cyclone and storm season this year.

Early last year, Hurricane Freddy and Tropical Storm Cheneso killed at least 37 people and forced thousands to flee their homes.