At least 31 people have been killed after Cyclone Gezani tore through Madagascar’s eastern coast, battering the port city of Toamasina with ferocious winds, widespread flooding and severe structural damage, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
The powerful storm made landfall on Tuesday, striking the country’s second-largest city with winds of up to 250 kilometres per hour. Roofs were ripped from homes, trees uprooted and entire neighbourhoods submerged, leaving residents scrambling for safety.
Madagascar’s National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNRGC) reported that many of the deaths occurred when houses collapsed under the force of the storm. Four people remain missing, at least 36 were seriously injured and more than 250,000 people have been affected.
Officials estimate that nearly three-quarters of Toamasina has been damaged or destroyed.
“What happened is a disaster,” said President Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who travelled to the city ahead of the cyclone’s arrival. “The current situation exceeds Madagascar’s capabilities alone.” He appealed to international partners and donors for urgent humanitarian support.
Drone footage released by the BNRGC showed vast stretches of the city under water, with residents wading through flooded streets and buildings stripped of their roofs. Roads were blocked by fallen trees and twisted sheets of metal, hampering rescue efforts.
Humanitarian organisations described the aftermath as chaotic. Rija Randrianarisoa of Action Against Hunger said up to 90 percent of homes had suffered roof damage. “The roads are completely inaccessible,” he said, noting that debris has left many areas cut off.
Weather experts on France’s Reunion island reported that Toamasina was struck by the most intense section of the cyclone, describing the landfall as one of the strongest recorded in the region in decades. The storm’s strength has drawn comparisons to Cyclone Geralda in 1994, which killed at least 200 people.
Residents recounted the terrifying impact. One local described the winds as “monstrous,” saying even solid walls gave way.
Commercial flights to Toamasina have been suspended, with only humanitarian and military aircraft allowed to operate. Military civil protection teams have been deployed to assist with rescue and relief operations.
Although the storm weakened after landfall, it continues to pose a threat as it moves across the island. Forecasters warn it could regain cyclone strength over the Mozambique Channel and potentially affect southern Mozambique later this week.
Madagascar remains particularly vulnerable to such disasters. According to national statistics, more than 70 percent of homes are built from fragile materials, making them highly susceptible to extreme weather.
Cyclone season in the southwest Indian Ocean runs from November to April and typically brings a dozen storms each year but Gezani has served as a harsh reminder that it only takes one to cause devastating consequences.