A view of Toamasina, on the east coast of Madagascar, struck by Tropical Cyclone Gezani on February 11, 2026. TSIKY SIKONINA / AFP
A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said on Wednesday, February 11.
Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the country's second-largest city, Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometers per hour. The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNRGC) said it had recorded 20 deaths, many after houses had collapsed. Fifteen people were missing and at least 33 had been hurt, it said, updating earlier tolls.
"What happened is a disaster: nearly 75% of the city of Toamasina was destroyed," said the country's new leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who had traveled to Toamasina ahead of the cyclone's landfall to support residents. "The current situation exceeds Madagascar's capabilities alone," said Randrianirina, who seized power in October, calling on "international partners and donors" to support the impoverished island.
Drone footage shared by the BNRGC on social media showed major flooding in the east coast city of 400,000 people, about 220 kilometers northeast of the capital Antananarivo, with residents wading through water and roofs ripped off buildings. The city appeared battered, its streets littered with trees uprooted by the force of the cyclone.
