Cyclone in Madagascar kills three, leaves thousands homeless

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Three people were killed and nearly 3,000 left homeless when a powerful cyclone struck Madagascar, officials said on Thursday. Cyclone Fanele hit the Indian Ocean island off the southern coast of Africa on Wednesday, bringing with it heavy rain and winds of up to 210 kilometers per hour. The storm uprooted giant trees, flattened homes and left large areas flooded, an Associated Press reporter saw during a tour of the affected areas with government disaster officials and relief agencies Thursday. Morondava, a regional hub on Madagascar's western coast, and home to about 30,000 people, is still without water and electricity. The local hospital has had its roof blown off.