ANTANANARIVO, Jan 7 (Xinhua/APP): Heavy rains that have been impacting Madagascar since late November last year have caused the deaths of 11 people and left six others injured, according to a report released Tuesday by the country’s disaster management agency.
The capital, Antananarivo, is among the areas hardest hit. A total of 274 people have been affected, with 26 residential houses damaged or destroyed, said the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management.
The Urban Commune of Antananarivo has urged the public to remain highly vigilant and called on all families living in old or unsafe traditional houses to evacuate to safe locations.
Madagascar’s meteorological service said Tuesday that rainy conditions are expected to persist in the northwestern part of the country and the central highlands in the coming days, with rainfall also forecast in southern regions.
Located in the western Indian Ocean, Madagascar typically experiences its rainy season from November to March. The accompanying severe weather often causes loss of life, displaces residents, and floods vast areas of agricultural land.