Madagascar: 70 dead from tropical storm Ana

The death toll from Tropical Storm Ana, which has hit countries in southern Africa, has risen to 70, according to the latest figures released today by authorities in Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar.

The governments and rescue teams of the three countries are still assessing the extent of the damage caused by the heavy rains that started last week on the coast of the Indian Ocean and the Mozambique Canal.

The death toll in Madagascar is 41, 18 in Mozambique and 11 in Malawi. The tropical storm also hit Zimbabwe, but there is no information on casualties.

Tens of thousands of homes were damaged, hundreds collapsed under the weight of liters of water that fell within days and people were trapped.

Bridges collapsed after floodwaters flooded rivers, swept away cars and their drivers. Fields were flooded and animals were swept away by the waters, destroying the livelihoods of some residents.

In Madagascar, 110.000 people were forced to flee their homes. In the capital Antananarivo, gyms and schools were evacuated and turned into emergency accommodation.

"We brought only the necessities," said Bertin Razafiarizoa, 47, who has gone to a gym with her family of ten.

After crossing the Indian Ocean, Tropical Storm Ana hit northern and central Mozambique. More than 10.000 homes were affected, dozens of hospitals and schools, as well as electricity infrastructure. The government and the UN estimate that 500.000 people have been affected in several provinces.

According to the country's meteorological institute, the rains will continue in the coming days and another tropical storm is expected by the end of the week. Four to six cyclones are forecast in the area until the end of March when the rainy season ends.

In neighboring Malawi, the government declared a state of natural disaster. Much of the country has been plunged into darkness since the beginning of the week. Sudden floods forced power companies to shut down their generators. Electricity supply has been gradually restored for the past two days, but many power structures have been damaged.

"Our priority is to restore power to health facilities and schools," the Malawi Electricity Commission (Escom) said in a statement.

Southern Africa, and especially Mozambique, has been repeatedly hit by severe storms and cyclones in recent years, causing severe property damage and displacing large numbers of people.

Source: RES-EAP