ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — Cyclone Gezani killed at least 36 people, injured more than 370 and destroyed almost 18,000 homes across Madagascar, authorities said Thursday.

Madagascar’s president has declared a national disaster and made a plea for international leaders to help the largely poor Indian Ocean island.

The tropical cyclone made landfall late Tuesday and caused widespread destruction in the main port city of Toamasina on the east coast before tearing across the country.

The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management said Thursday the death toll had risen to at least 36 while six people were missing. It said 374 people were injured and more than 250,000 people were affected by the storm.

Authorities said 32 of the deaths occurred in the Toamasina area, the country’s main port and an economic hub. President Michael Randrianirina said 75% of the city was damaged or destroyed.

Many of Madagascar’s 31 million people live in houses that give inadequate shelter from strong storms and authorities said many of the deaths were caused by building collapses.

The disaster agency said 17,980 houses were destroyed and more than 37,000 others were damaged by Gezani, which brought winds in excess of 195 kph (121 mph).

Drone video released by the disaster agency showed the extent of the damage in Toamasina, home to more than 300,000 people. Almost every building sustained major damage by having their roofs or other parts of the structures ripped off. Many buildings were flattened completely, while trees were stripped bare or uprooted and left lying in roads across the city.

Residents trudged through floodwater that reached to their knees as they began to piece their lives back together.

“We can clearly see what Toamasina needs right now: above all, food, basic necessities, and building materials to quickly rebuild everything that has been destroyed in Toamasina and its surroundings,” Randrianirina said after he visited the city that took the brunt of the cyclone. He called on all of Madagascar’s people to help with the recovery effort.

Madagascar, off Africa’s east coast, is especially vulnerable to destructive storms that blow in off the Indian Ocean. It has been hit by more than a dozen cyclones or strong tropical storms since 2020.

A cyclone hit the northwest part of the island just last month, killing at least 14 people.

___

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa