ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — Cyclone Gezani killed at least 36 people, injured more than 370 and destroyed almost 18,000 homes in a 24-hour spell of destruction across Madagascar, authorities said Thursday.
Madagascar's president has declared a national disaster and made a plea for international leaders to help the largely poor Indian Ocean island.
The tropical cyclone made landfall late Tuesday and caused widespread destruction in the main port city of Toamasina on the east coast before tearing across the country.
The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management said Thursday the death toll had risen to at least 36 while six people were missing. It said 374 people were injured and more than 250,000 people were affected by the storm.
Authorities said 32 of the deaths occurred in the Toamasina area, the country's main port and an economic hub. President Michael Randrianirina said 75% of the city was damaged or destroyed.
Many of Madagascar's 31 million people live in houses that give inadequate shelter from strong storms and authorities said many of the deaths were caused by building collapses.
The disaster agency said 17,980 houses were destroyed and more than 37,000 others were damaged by Gezani, which brought winds in excess of 195 kilometers per hour (121 miles per hour).
Drone video released by the disaster agency showed the extent of the damage in Toamasina, home to more than 300,000 people. Almost every building sustained major damage by having their roofs or other parts of the structures ripped off. Many buildings were flattened completely, while trees were stripped bare or uprooted and left lying in roads across the city.
