Madagascar cyclone death toll climbs

Children sit on a boat on a flooded street ofTulear, Madagascar, on February 23, 2013, a day after the cyclone Haruna hit the island.

Children sit on a boat on a flooded street ofTulear, Madagascar, on February 23, 2013, a day after the cyclone Haruna hit the island.

Published Feb 27, 2013

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Antananarivo - The death toll from tropical cyclone Haruna and heavy rains that have battered Madagascar has risen to 23 with 16 people missing, the national disaster management agency said on Tuesday.

The cyclone struck on Friday morning in the southwest region of the Indian Ocean island.

Latest figures showed that at least 84 people had been injured and nearly 23 000 others affected.

The cyclone brought heavy rains and strong gusts of wind reaching speeds of 125mph.

The category 2 cyclone destroyed nearly 1 500 houses, leaving almost 10 000 people homeless, and flooded more than 6 000 hectares of crops. - AFP

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