Feb 6, 2022 - World

At least 10 dead, thousands displaced after Madagascar cyclone

Ivana Saric

A man sits on a bench amid trees that were uprooted and fell on a public garden in the center of Antsirabe following the passage of cyclone Batsirai in Madagascar on Feb. 6. Photo: Rijasolo/AFP via Getty Images

A cyclone slammed into Madagascar's east coast Saturday, causing widespread damage and leaving some 45,000 people displaced as of Sunday, per AP.

Why it matters: Cyclone Batsirai comes just weeks after Cyclone Ana struck the island on Jan. 22, killing 55 people and displacing 130,000, Reuters reports.

The big picture: At least 10 people were killed by Saturday's cyclone.

Though the cyclone's winds have now slowed to 80 miles an hour, from peak winds of 145 mph, residents have reported damage including roofs being blown off of houses, flooding, power lines being cut and uprooted trees, per AP.
Some villages have been almost completely destroyed, Environment Minister Vahinala Raharinirina told the BBC.

What they're saying: "It's as if we had just been bombed. The city of Nosy Varika is almost 95% destroyed," Willy Raharijaona, an adviser to the vice president of Madagascar's Senate, told Reuters.

Add Axios on Google

At least 10 dead, thousands displaced after Madagascar cyclone

What to read next