A powerful cyclone has ripped through Madagascar’s second-largest city, killing at least 36 people and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, the Indian Ocean island’s disaster authority confirmed Thursday.
Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the eastern coastal city of Toamasina with winds reaching 250 kilometers per hour. The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) reported Thursday that it has recorded at least 36 fatalities, while six people remain missing and at least 374 others have been injured.
The agency further noted that more than 8,800 people have been displaced. In a preliminary assessment, authorities said over 18,000 homes were destroyed, with an additional 50,000 either damaged or flooded.
Toamasina, a city of approximately 400,000 residents, has been left heavily scarred. Hundreds of trees were uprooted by the violent winds, roofs were torn from buildings, and residents were seen wading through flooded streets. The BNGRC estimated that up to 75% of the city and its surrounding areas have been ravaged by the cyclone.
In response to the escalating crisis, Madagascar’s new leader, President Carl Michaelanina, issued an appeal Thursday for international solidarity. The President’s call for aid comes as local emergency crews continue search and rescue operations amid widespread power outages and severed communication lines.
Authorities warn that the death toll may rise as access to isolated communities improves and assessments continue.