At least 38 people have died in Madagascar after Cyclone Gezani tore through the coastal city of Toamasina with winds of up to 250 km/h. The country's leader appealed for "international solidarity" in the face of the catastrophe.
The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) confirmed on Thursday that at least 38 people were killed, six remain missing and at least 374 were injured after Cyclone Gezani made landfall late Tuesday.
The storm slammed directly into Toamasina, also known as Tamatave - Madagascar's second-largest city and home to nearly 400,000 people.
Its violent gusts and torrential rains ravaged "up to 75 percent" of the city and its surroundings, according to Madagascar's new leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who took power four months ago following a military takeover.
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In a statement Thursday, he called for "international solidarity" to support urgent relief operations.
More than 18,000 homes were destroyed, while over 50,000 were damaged or flooded, the BNGRC said. At least 12,000 people have been displaced.
The storm also caused significant damage in the surrounding Atsinanana region, where post-disaster assessments are still under way.
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Mozambique on alert
The CMRS cyclone forecaster on France's Indian Ocean island of Réunion said Toamasina had been "directly hit by the most intense part" of the cyclone. It described the landfall as likely one of the most intense recorded in the region - rivalling Cyclone Geralda, which left at least 200 people dead back in 1994.
Cyclone Gezani weakened after reached land, but continued crossing Madagascar from east to west as a tropical storm until Wednesday night.
Forecasters say it is expected to regain strength over the Mozambique Channel, potentially returning to "intense tropical cyclone" status, classified as stage four out of five. From Friday evening, it could strike southern Mozambique, a country already grappling with severe flooding since the beginning of the year.
Cyclone season in the south-west Indian Ocean typically runs from November to April and produces around a dozen storms each year.
