CYCLONE EMNATI LEAVES FOUR DEAD IN MADAGASCAR

Still reeling from another cyclone earlier this month, Emnati hit Madagascar at the start of the week, packing winds of up to 140 kilometres per hour (90 miles per hour).

AFP | 

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - At least four people have died and tens of thousands been affected after Cyclone Emnati lashed the island nation of Madagascar, l officials said on Friday.

Still reeling from another cyclone earlier this month, Emnati hit Madagascar at the start of the week, packing winds of up to 140 kilometres per hour (90 miles per hour).

"There have been four deaths in Farafangana", a coastal town in the southeast, according to an initial toll by Madagascar's National Risk Management Office.

Nearly 72,200 people have been impacted by the cyclone, which also left roads and a bridge cut off.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Madagascar is prone to numerous storms and cyclones between November and April every year.

Another storm, Cyclone Batsirai, struck the island on February 5, affecting some 270,000 people and claiming 121 lives.

Tropical Storm Ana also struck in late January, killing about 100 people in Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Madagascar's southern region has also been ravaged by drought, leading to malnutrition and pockets of famine.