30 dead and 20 missing after tropical storm hit Madagascar

At least 30 people have died, while 20 are still missing after floods and landslides caused by the passage of Tropical Storm Chineso that hit Madagascar.

Tens of thousands of people have also been left homeless across the Indian Ocean island nation, according to an interim assessment on Monday.

Madagascar’s National Office for Risk and Disaster Management said the storm made landfall in the northeast of the island last Thursday, affecting nearly 89,000 people.

Madagascar’s meteorological agency said the storm, which has now passed across the country into the Mozambique Channel, saw winds of 170 kilometers per hour (105.63 mph) and unleashed heavy rain.

There have been house collapses and landslides in which people have been trapped, said Colonel Valle Arityana of the Office of Risk and Disaster.

“People generally reacted in the right way, but some people did not take enough notice to warn us not to cross rivers in case of flood because the flow is much stronger than normal,” said Arythiana.

The storm damaged infrastructure, with many roads cut off by rising waters, landslides, and bridges.

Nearly 33,000 people have had to leave their homes in the Boyne district, in the northwest of the island. Locals say the prices of basic foodstuffs have skyrocketed.

“The prices of vegetables and rice have gone up a lot after the storm,” said Veronique Mamitiana, a teacher in Mahajanga, with the prices of tomatoes four times higher. “Traders say that the reason is to block the national road,” she said.

Marovwai, located 100 kilometers (60 miles) south, was one of the areas hardest hit by the storm, with stagnant floodwaters still affecting many areas. District leader Tolotrinyana Rakotonendriana said the water level is decreasing very slowly.

“Many houses are still flooded and that is why most of the victims are still in the shelter sites,” Rakotonendriana added. “The roads are covered with water and we have to travel by canoe.”

Local authorities said basic food supplies are being distributed to help those in need.