10 killed, 48,000 displaced as cyclone wipes out Madagascan village

At least 10 people have been killed with nearly 48,000 displaced as a deadly storm, Cyclone Batsirai, struck Madagascar on Sunday, leaving in its wake severe destruction, according to the country’s national disaster management agency on Monday.

The report noted that though the cyclone later weakened, it had wreaked serious havoc in the poor Indian Ocean island nation which was still reeling from a deadly tropical storm earlier this year.

“Parts of the country were lashed with heavy rains and wind before the cyclone made a landfall in Mananjary.

“It uprooted trees, destroyed buildings and forced residents to weigh down flimsy corrugated iron roofs along its path,” the agency reported.

“The rain will cause flooding across parts of the country,” added Madagascar’s meteorological office in another report.

The Cyclone Batsirai made a landfall late Sunday as an intense tropical cyclone, packing winds of 165 kilometres (102 miles) per hour, according to Faly Aritiana Fabien of the country’s disaster management agency.

His colleague responsible for risk management, Paolo Emilio Raholinarivo, listed 10 dead, but gave no further details.