By Lovasoa Rabary

ANTANANARIVO, Reuters – At least 10 deaths were reported in southeastern Madagascar by a cyclone, which was the second Indian Ocean Island to be hit in two weeks. Officials said that the cyclone caused floods and brought down buildings, cutting off power.

Nosy Varika was the most severely affected town on the east shore. It saw almost 95% destruction of buildings and flooding cut off access.

Cyclone Batsirai made landfall late Saturday. It smashed into the eastern coast, with heavy rains falling and winds up to 100 mph (165 kph). According to projections, it could move as many as 150,000 people.

This storm added to the damage caused by Cyclone Ana which struck the island with nearly 30,000,000 inhabitants two weeks ago. It killed 55 and left behind 130,000.

In a Sunday bulletin, Madagascar’s bureau of disaster management and risk management stated that 10 persons had died. Some people were killed when their house fell in Ambalavao about 460 km from the capital Antananarivo, according to the state radio.

Nirina Rahaingosoa a Fianarantsoa resident 420km south of capital said that they saw nothing but desolation.

He said that electricity was cut in the area after poles fell from wind gusts which blew throughout Sunday night and into Monday morning.

Willy Raharijaona was the technical advisor of the vice president Madagascar’s Senate. Willy said parts of the southeast were cut off by flooding.

It’s almost as though we were just bombed. “The city of Nosyvarika has been almost 95% decimated,” he stated. “The roofs of solid homes were torn by wind. “The wooden huts are mostly gone.”

Raharijaona was another resident, who only gave one name and said that schools and churches which were preparing to house the displaced people in Mananjary’s southeast region had seen their roofs torn down.

To clear the damage caused by Batsirai’s landslide, villagers shoveled mud onto a roadway in central Haute Matsiatra.

Cyclone Ana, which struck Indian Ocean Island Nation on January 22, left at least 55 people dead due to landslides or collapsed buildings. It also caused widespread flooding.

Ana, after the devastation in Madagascar, moved westward, landing at Mozambique before continuing on to Malawi. A total of 88 persons were killed.