14 dead in Madagascar storm

2010-03-13 14:00

Antananarivo - At least 14 people were killed and nearly 38,000 left homeless when tropical storm Hubert smashed into Madagascar this week, authorities said Saturday.

"So far we have counted 14 dead, two missing and 37 891 homeless on the east coast," of the Indian Ocean island, the press service of the national emergencies office BNGRC said.

Hubert caused torrential rain all week on Madagascar, which only finally stopped on Friday morning.

"Our main problem now is evacuating victims," a spokesperson for the BNGRC said, adding that 50 tons of rice had been sent to each of the six districts worst affected.

Hubert was the first cyclone to cause serious damage on the island in the current cyclone season, which began in November and ends in April.

Last year 24 people were killed in the passage of two cyclones.

In January and February 2008 cyclones Fame and Ivan killed 97 people.

- AFP