29 killed as cyclone Ava hits Madagascar

Antananarivo: Twenty nine people were killed by cyclone Ava that hit Madagascar from Friday to Sunday, officials said on Monday.

The National Office of Risks and Disasters Management (BNGRC) said in its provisional report that 22 people are still missing, while 17,170 have been displaced.

Five national roads were cut while 17 health centers were destroyed, Xinhua reported.

BNGRC said in the report that 3,191 hectares of rice fields are totally flooded in the capital Madagascar.

The cyclone hit the eastern part of Madagascar on Friday and left the country on Sunday by continuing its trajectory to the southeast off the country with an average speed of 15 km per hour.