Saturday, 23 Aug 2025
America Age
  • Trending
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Money
    • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Art & Books
    • Culture
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Font ResizerAa
America AgeAmerica Age
Search
  • Trending
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Money
    • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Art & Books
    • Culture
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 America Age. All Rights Reserved.
America Age > Blog > World > Cyclone Batsirai: Whole villages swept away in Madagascar
World

Cyclone Batsirai: Whole villages swept away in Madagascar

Enspirers | Editorial Board
Share
Cyclone Batsirai: Whole villages swept away in Madagascar
SHARE
A man sits on a bench surrounded by fallen trees

The storm destroyed homes and brought down trees

At least six people have been killed and nearly 50,000 displaced after Cyclone Batsirai brought strong winds and rain to Madagascar on Saturday evening.

Batsirai – the second major storm in two weeks – made landfall on the east coast, with gusts of 235km/h (146mph) and high waves hitting coastal areas.

Whole villages are reported to be almost completely destroyed.

The cyclone has now weakened, according to the national weather service.

Madagascar was already reeling from Tropical Storm Ana, which killed 55 people when it hit the Indian Ocean island nation last month.

Cyclone Batsirai has compounded the destruction, making landfall near the south-eastern city of Mananjary, 530 kilometres (310 miles) from the capital Antananarivo, at around 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Saturday.

Electricity had not been available in Mananjary for two days and the water supply had been disrupted, according to local media. One resident told Reuters that even schools and churches due to be used as evacuation centres had had their roofs torn off.

In other places, the destruction was nearly total.

“It’s as if we had just been bombed. The city of Nosy Varika is almost 95% destroyed. The solid houses saw their roofs torn off by the wind. The wooden huts have, for the most part, been destroyed,” Willy Raharijaona, an advisor to the vice president of Madagascar’s Senate, told Reuters.

Environment Minister Vahinala Raharinirina told the BBC that many villages were nearly completely gone, with some being swept away by the storm.

In the east coast city of Mahanoro, the rising sea eroded a sandy hill which was part of a graveyard. Marie Viviane Rasoanandrasana, a 54-year-old widow, sat and watched as the bodies of her husband, father-in-law and daughter were exposed.

“We’ve already had damages at home because of the cyclone. Now this,” she told AFP.

Around 48,000 people have been displaced, according to the disaster management agency, although the UN World Food Programme (WFP) estimated that as many as 150,000 people could be forced to leave their homes.

Some of the displaced were moved to evacuation centres where victims of January’s Tropical Storm Ana were also staying.

While the cyclone weakened as it moved inland, with the strongest gusts scaling back to around 110km/h (68mph), the country’s meteorological agency said that the storm will cause “significant and widespread damage”.

Experts fear that Cyclone Batsirai could prove to be even more destructive than Storm Ana, which also hit Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe and officials have called on the international community to offer assistance.

The WFP has prepared food stocks to distribute to those in need, while some people have already been evacuated. The UN has put rescue aircraft on standby.

The cyclone is expected to move westwards and emerge at sea in the Mozambique Channel later on Sunday but is then forecast to head south, avoiding mainland Africa.

Residents in Mahanoro clear away damage caused by Cyclone BatsiraiResidents in Mahanoro clear away damage caused by Cyclone Batsirai

Residents in Mahanoro clear away damage caused by Cyclone Batsirai

The WFP says the recent pattern of destructive storms caused by global warming and climate change has caused failed harvests, high food prices and increased food insecurity in the region.

“The people of Southern Africa have been on the front lines of climate extremes for many years now and each passing storm sets them back, resetting the progress made,” said senior WFP official Margaret Malu.

Experts say that extreme weather events like cyclones will become more frequent because of climate change.

Madagascar is also just recovering from the effects of a drought, which was also blamed on global warming.

The environment minister told the BBC that the country had submitted a plan to the COP26 climate conference, which showed it needed $1bn (£740m) a year to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Queen Elizabeth Commemorates Platinum Jubilee, Marking 70-Year Reign Queen Elizabeth Commemorates Platinum Jubilee, Marking 70-Year Reign
Next Article Sullivan warns China could face costs if it supports a Russian invasion of Ukraine Sullivan warns China could face costs if it supports a Russian invasion of Ukraine

Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!

Our commitment to accuracy, impartiality, and delivering breaking news as it happens has earned us the trust of a vast audience. Stay ahead with real-time updates on the latest events, trends.
FacebookLike
TwitterFollow
InstagramFollow
LinkedInFollow
MediumFollow
QuoraFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad image

Popular Posts

Pam Liebman: Make your recreation plan for Inman Join New York

Whether or not it’s refining what you are promoting mannequin, mastering new applied sciences, or…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

U.S. takes aim at North Korean crypto laundering

The U.S. sanctioned a cryptocurrency swap service on Friday, part of a larger effort to…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Zelenskyy: Russians Committing ‘Most Terrible War Crimes’ In Ukraine Since World War II

Addressing a meeting of the United Nations Security Council remotely on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Amber Heard says Johnny Depp can’t look at her because he’s ‘guilty’: ‘I survived that man and I’m here’

Amber Heard finishes testifying on May 17, 2022 as her team begins to call witnesses.…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

You Might Also Like

UN-backed specialists declare famine in and round Gaza Metropolis
World

UN-backed specialists declare famine in and round Gaza Metropolis

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Putin needs to ‘wriggle out’ of assembly, Zelenskyy claims, and says Russia doesn’t need to finish conflict – Europe stay
World

Putin needs to ‘wriggle out’ of assembly, Zelenskyy claims, and says Russia doesn’t need to finish conflict – Europe stay

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Australian medical doctors subjected to vexatious complaints over social media posts on Gaza, GP peak physique says
World

Australian medical doctors subjected to vexatious complaints over social media posts on Gaza, GP peak physique says

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Information stay: Australia says Israel’s West Financial institution settlement plan is ‘unacceptable’ and calls for press entry to Gaza
World

Information stay: Australia says Israel’s West Financial institution settlement plan is ‘unacceptable’ and calls for press entry to Gaza

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
America Age
Facebook Twitter Youtube

About US


America Age: Your instant connection to breaking stories and live updates. Stay informed with our real-time coverage across politics, tech, entertainment, and more. Your reliable source for 24/7 news.

Company
  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement
Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability
Terms of Use
  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices
© 2024 America Age. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?