Cyclone Gezani has struck Mozambique’s southern coastal province of Inhambane, with officials confirming that at least four people have died.
This latest toll emerged on Saturday, just a day after the cyclone tore through Madagascar, killing at least 41 people and leaving a trail of devastation across the island.
Meteorologists cited by the media reported that the storm lashed Inhambane with winds reaching speeds of up to 215km per hour (134mph). The national electric company said that the high winds brought down trees and power lines, leaving more than 13,000 people without electricity.
Furthermore, water supplies were cut off in several districts of Inhambane city, which is home to approximately 100,000 residents. Mozambique is frequently hit by weather-related disasters, which scientists argue are being worsened by climate change. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the southern African nation is only just recovering from severe flooding in recent weeks that affected over 700,000 people and damaged more than 170,000 homes.
In Madagascar, the government has declared a national emergency, estimating that the storm has caused roughly $142 million in damage. Officials added that, in addition to the fatalities, at least 427 people were injured and some 16,300 were displaced.
The eye of the cyclone passed over Madagascar’s second-largest city, Toamasina, on Tuesday, leaving it devastated. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, the island’s leader, stated that approximately 75 per cent of the city, which has a population of 400,000, had been destroyed.
Tania Goosens, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Madagascar director, told reporters on Friday that "the scale of destruction is overwhelming" in Toamasina. "The authorities have reported that 80 per cent of the city has been damaged," she said, adding that "the city is running on roughly 5 per cent of electricity, and there is no water." Goosens noted that the WFP’s own office and a warehouse "were also completely destroyed".
Also read: Tropical cyclone hits Madagascar, 9 killed
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