Cyclone Gejani wreaks havoc in Madagascar, 20 people died in the disaster, many missing

Antananarivo. The powerful tropical cyclone Gejani that hit the Indian Ocean island country Madagascar has caused massive devastation. According to the Government Disaster Management Agency, at least 20 people have died in this disaster so far, while 15 people are reported missing.

According to the report, the highest number of 18 deaths were recorded in Toamasina, the country’s second largest city, while two others died in a neighboring district. The cyclone caused widespread damage with strong winds and rain as it hit the coast late on Tuesday night. Local residents described the strong wind as extremely frightening and said that even the strong metal doors and windows trembled.

At least 33 people have been injured in this disaster. As a precautionary measure, more than 2,700 people were evacuated to safe places. Many communities were affected as the cyclone moved towards the interior after hitting the coastal areas.

According to the Meteorological Department, at its peak the speed of Gezani was about 185 km per hour, while the gusts reached up to 270 km per hour. The strong winds blew away roofs of many houses, uprooted trees and damaged power lines, leaving many areas in darkness.

This is the second major cyclone to hit Madagascar this year. 14 people had died and thousands of people were displaced in Cyclone Faitiya, which struck about ten days before this.

On Wednesday morning, the weather service said Gejani has now weakened to a moderate tropical storm and may move north from the capital Antananarivo towards the Mozambique Channel. Authorities had already closed schools and prepared relief camps, which somewhat prevented mass casualties.