Faith Nyasuguta
Tropical storm Ana has caused widespread flooding in Madagascar, including in the capital city, raising the death toll from recent heavy rains to 36 people at the moment.
In neighboring Mozambique, another three people have died with the storm knocking out power in most parts of Malawi.
According to officials, over 65,000 people have also been displaced and rendered homeless.
The storm hit Madagascar over the weekend after the island had already experienced several days of rains, the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management said.
In parts of Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, hundreds are being evacuated after flash floods destroyed hundreds of buildings.
The storm has so far destroyed homes, schools and clinics in central and northern Mozambique. The United Nations says up to 500,000 people could be affected in the country.
I was still in my bed when someone whistled. When I got up, my feet were directly in the water. There was water everywhere,” a resident said.
“We saw the pots and the dishes carried away by the water. We were only able to bring some dry clothes and sheets to sleep here,” Mbolatiana Razananiarisoa, whose family has found shelter in one of the capital’s gymnasiums, said.
With torrential rains continuing, Antananarivo’s rivers are rising and officials are calling on residents to leave low-lying areas of the capital and surrounding areas. Many residents have been evacuated in inflatable motorized boats.
On Tuesday, Madagascar’s meteorological department warned of continued heavy rains. The tropical depression has moved across the Indian Ocean to the African continent, causing strong winds and rain in northern Mozambique.
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