10 Killed In Madagascar Flood

At least ten people have died after heavy rains occurred in Madagascar, rendering over 500 people homeless.

Most of the victims were reported to have been trapped in landslides or collapsed houses, especially in the deprived neighbourhoods in the suburbs of Antananarivo.

Sonia Ray, the spokeswoman of the Office of Risk Management and Disaster (BNGRC) said; “More than 100 mm of water filled the areas during the night from Monday to Tuesday, warning that the worst is yet to come as more rains are expected throughout January.

Twenty municipalities around the capital of the country have been placed on red alert against imminent danger.

Images of many Malagasy in the streets, with thigh-high muddy water, has been circulating on social media.

Each year, the country faces a period of intense and often deadly rainfalls. In January 2020, heavy rains and floods caused 32 deaths and left thousands of victims homeless.

Madagascar, which is one of the poorest countries in the world, also regularly experiences cyclones and other tropical storms.

In 2018, a cyclone killed 51 people and left 22 missings. Two months later, tropical storms also killed 20 people and left nearly 19,000 affected.