50,000 feared homeless as tropical cyclone slams Madagascar

ANTANANARIVO (AFP) Mar 07, 2004
Tropical cyclone Galifo hit Madagascar Sunday, blasting powerful winds across the storm-ravaged north of the Indian Ocean island, as rescue officials said as many as 50,000 people could be left homeless.

"At this point, we don't have much information on the damage", the interior minister, General Soja (eds: one name), said.

"But we are sure the situation is serious since the cyclone has hit regions and cities which were already seriously affected by the cyclone Elita less than a month ago," he said at a crisis meeting in the capital attended by UN workers, weather experts and Madagascar armed forces and police.

Southwesterly winds arrived overnight on the island near the city of Antalaha blowing at 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour, with gusts as high as 180 kilometers per hour, state weather office director Alain Razafimahazo said.

It was expected to cross the north of the island before exiting toward the ocean by early Monday, but there was a "75-percent chance that it will turn around and cross the island again, from west to east, in the south of Madagascar", he said.

No deaths had been reported, the national rescue center said, adding that one person in Antananarivo was injured when a corrugated roof flew off a building.

"To prepare for our emergency operations, in terms of medicine, blankets and water purification systems, we're starting from the estimate of 50,000 homeless people," Mohamed Aknouche, logistics chief for the UN children's agency (UNICEF) here, said.

Last month, 29 people were killed, 100 injured and 44,000 left homeless in the north by Elita, according to national rescue center figures.

The government of the large island state off Africa's southeast coast has asked for aid.

At 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) Sunday the cyclone was localized near the northern town of Ambatoboeny, with winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour and gusts at 150 kilometers per hour.

Earlier, Lucille Randrianarivelo, secretary of the national rescue center, told AFP that while exact casualty figures were unknown, "we know that the winds were very violent, and that the damage will be heavy."

Madagascar is usually exposed to cyclones between December and March, but the season can be longer. In May 2003, cyclone Manou devastated part of the country, killing 70 people on the east coast.

TERRA.WIRE