Death toll rises to 10 as Cyclone Fytia strikes Madagascar

​​​​​​​By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - The death toll from Cyclone Fytia in Madagascar has risen to 10, with one person missing and seven injured, the country’s disaster agency said Tuesday.

The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) said on US social media platform Facebook that 66,414 people have been affected by the storm, with 23,712 temporarily relocated.

At least 27 districts were affected by the cyclone, which struck the Indian Ocean island nation from the west Saturday before moving out to sea Sunday via the eastern coastal city of Vatomandry, according to BNGRC.

Madagascar is one of Africa’s most storm-prone countries, and authorities have forecast continued rainfall across the northern and central regions in the coming days.

As part of preparedness efforts, the country launched a European Union-World Food Program humanitarian hub last week, with a capacity to store at least 1,000 tons of relief supplies, including food and medicine.