3 Dead, 38,000 Displaced After Cyclone Hits Madagascar

A powerful tropical cyclone, Honde, has swept through southern Madagascar, leaving three people dead, 42 injured, and displacing over 38,000 residents, according to the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC).

In a statement on Monday, the BNGRC reported that the hardest-hit areas in the southern and southwestern regions were battered by strong winds and severe flooding on Friday, when the cyclone was approximately 130 kilometers off the country's southern coast.

The disaster management office noted that 54 emergency shelters have accommodated 20,026 displaced individuals.

Additionally, the cyclone destroyed 1,271 homes, damaged 495 more, and submerged 7,099 huts due to heavy rainfall and floods.

Madagascar’s meteorological authority stated that Cyclone Honde has since weakened into a strong tropical storm, moving southeast at a speed of 100 km/h, gradually distancing itself from the island nation.