Cyclone Gezani kills at least 59 in Madagascar, displaces over 16,000

At least 59 people lost their lives when Cyclone Gezani hit Madagascar last week, underscoring the vulnerability of this Indian Ocean island nation to severe tropical storms. The disaster management office reported on Monday that the cyclone caused widespread devastation, affecting an estimated 423,986 individuals and displacing over 16,000 people. Among these, 15 lives remain unaccounted for, while 804 were injured.

The second major storm to strike Madagascar in just ten days, following the destructive Fytia cyclone that killed 14 people last month, Gezani’s ferocity was unparalleled. With winds peaking at around 185 km per hour and gusts reaching nearly 270 km per hour, the powerful system wreaked havoc across Madagascar. Metal sheeting from rooftops were torn off, and large trees uprooted by the strong winds.

As Gezani swept through, it brought heavy rains to southern Mozambique, where waves reached heights of over 10 meters, as reported by the country’s weather service. The cyclone then moved westward across the Mozambique Channel before curving back toward Madagascar, with another landfall anticipated in southwestern Madagascar on Monday.

Authorities have placed the Ampanihy district under red alert, expecting Gezani to pass about 100 kilometers off shore along Madagascar’s western coast by evening. The cyclone is forecast to bring winds of around 65 km/h but no significant rainfall, a welcome change from previous storms.

Madagascar faces repeated testing from these climatic events, highlighting the urgent need for robust disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure in vulnerable regions.