Tropical Cyclone Alvaro kills 12 people in Madagascar

KIGALI, Rwanda

At least 12 people have been killed by Tropical Cyclone Alvaro which hit Madagascar at the beginning of this month, the country’s disaster management agency said on Tuesday.

The victims included a mother and her three children who were buried under the rubble after a landslide, according to the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management.

More than 9,500 people have been displaced due to flooding and landslides and are living in temporary shelters, it added.

The cyclone also damaged several infrastructures including more than 400 housing units, classrooms as well as thousands of hectares of rice plantation.

Atsimo-Andrefana, Haute Matsiatra and Menabe are the worst-hit regions of Madagascar.

Alvaro made landfall near Morombe in Madagascar on Jan. 1.

The island country is prone to climate-related disasters.

In January and February of 2023, the country was hit by Cyclone Cheneso, which killed 33 people and affected more than 90,000.

With the cyclone season still in its early stages, between five and eight storms or cyclones are expected this year in the region, according to forecasts.