Cyclone Enawo's death toll in Madagascar jumps to 38

Enawo is one of the worst storms to hit the country since 2012, when tropical storm Irina and tropical hurricane Giovanna claimed more than 100 lives.

Flood waters are seen in parts of Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo after one of the worst storms hit the country in recent years.
TRT World and Agencies

Flood waters are seen in parts of Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo after one of the worst storms hit the country in recent years.

The death toll from Cyclone Enawo, which slammed into Madagascar this week, rose to 38 people from an initial figure of five, the country's disaster management agency said.

Enawo hit Madagascar's vanilla-producing northeastern coast on Tuesday morning, and started moving across the island nation as it weakened. It is now reclassified as a tropical depression, which is moving southwards, away from the island which lies 250 miles (400 kilometres) off the coast of Africa.

Thierry Venty, Executive Secretary of the National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC), said on national television late on Friday that those killed included victims of landslides caused by the storm.

AP

Residents cross flooded land and canal in Madagascar's capital Antananarivo to collect fresh water.

A total of 180 people have been injured, he said. Another 116,191 people have been displaced or had their property damaged, he said. At least 53,172 people were taking shelter in centres set up across the country.

Up to 700,000 people could be affected by the cyclone, according to the Red Cross. The group has deployed 500 volunteers to help the 116,191 people who are known to have been affected by the storm.

"The damage is enormous wherever the cyclone has gone," Venty said.

Videos and photographs shared on social media showed flattened trees, flooded roads and corrugated sheeting ripped from roofs after the cyclone struck.

The local weather forecasting service said Enawo was one of the worst storms to hit the country in recent years. In 2012, tropical storm Irina and tropical cyclone Giovanna claimed more than 100 lives.

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