Cyclone killed 25 in Madagascar - Officials

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar

The cyclone, which reached land on Jan. 19, triggered heavy rains that left large parts of the country's capital Antananarivo flooded.

Madagascar's office for risk and disaster management (BNGRC) said that assistance had begun on Monday in affected communities.

In a statement, the office said more than 55,400 people had been affected.

Cheneso is the first for 2023 of an annual series that typically forms in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the island nation.

Last week, officials said 19 people were missing after the storm flooded several districts and cut roads linking them to the capital Antananarivo.

In recent years, Madagascar and Mozambique have been repeatedly hit by severe storms and cyclones that have destroyed homes, infrastructure and crops with large numbers of people displaced.

Early last year, four major storms hit Madagascar, killing at least 138 people and destroying 124,000 homes. The storms displaced nearly 130,000 people.