Antananarivo, Feb 12 The death toll from the intense tropical cyclone Batsirai in Madagascar has risen to 111, the country's Disaster Risk Management Office (BNGRC) reported on Friday.
The latest report said of the 111 deaths, 87 people are from the district of Ikongo, a locality located in the Fitovinany region, in the south-eastern part of the country.
In a telephone interview with Xinhua on Friday, a BNGRC official explained that "Ikongo, like the districts of Ifanadiana and other areas in the south-east, is a very hilly area, and therefore very vulnerable to landslides and collapses, especially when there are very heavy rains."
The BNGRC said that as of February 11, 117,931 people from 24,747 households and more than 30,000 displaced people in 117 shelter sites have been registered throughout Madagascar, Xinhua news agency reported.
Intense tropical cyclone Batsirai made landfall on Saturday evening in Madagascar, with the exact location being monitored at 14 km north of the town of Mananjary, 535 km southeast of the capital Antananarivo. Batsirai crossed the country from east to west before going out to sea on Sunday in the Mozambique Channel.
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