Cyclone Enawo kills at least 38 people, Madagascar authorities say

The death toll from Cyclone Enawo that slammed into Madagascar earlier this week, has risen to 38 people, injured 180, while some 50,000 others were driven from their homes.

This is according to the country’s disaster management department.

Thierry Venty, the secretary general of the National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management, said the damage from the cyclone was enormous.

Thierry added that the 38 deaths occured countrywide while more than 116,000 people have been affected by the storm.

Officials say the full extent of the damage is not yet known because of telecommunications breakdown, making it hard to contact rural communities.

But, estimates from the Red Cross indicate that up to 700,000 people would be affected by Enawo which is the most powerful to strike the Island since 2012.

The cyclone hit Madagascar’s north eastern coast on Tuesday morning destroying roads and cutting off communications lines.