Overview
- Authorities report at least 36 deaths, 374 injuries and more than 250,000 people affected, with six still missing after the cyclone’s landfall.
- Toamasina, the country’s main port, absorbed the worst impact, with officials estimating about 75% of the city damaged or destroyed and 32 deaths recorded there.
- The disaster agency says 17,980 homes were destroyed and more than 37,000 others were damaged as winds topped 195 km/h and torrential rains swept the east coast.
- President Michael Randrianirina declared a national disaster and appealed for international assistance as rescue teams and emergency aid deployments continue.
- Government officials appointed interim administrators in the hardest-hit regions and warned that assessments are ongoing as the storm moves over the channel.