Cyclone Gezani Death Toll in Madagascar Hits 40

February 14, 2026

A resident walks past a damaged structure in the city of Toamasina, on the east coast of Madagascar, struck by Tropical Cyclone Gezani on February 12, 2026. A cyclone packing violent winds has killed at least 35 people and caused devastation in Madagascar's second-largest city, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Thursday, releasing an updated toll. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the eastern coastal city Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour. The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNRGC) on Thursday said it had recorded 35 deaths, while six people remained missing and at least 374 were injured. More than 8,800 people were displaced, it said. (Photo by Tsiky SIkonina / AFP)

The death toll from Cyclone Gezani has climbed to 40, three days after the storm swept across Madagascar, as authorities continue to battle widespread outages to electricity and water supplies.

In an update released on Friday, the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNRGC) said 427 people were injured, while six others remained missing. The cyclone affected 273,417 people, representing more than 74,000 households.

After touring Toamasina, the country’s second-largest city and the area worst hit by the storm’s 250km/h winds, the Madagascar director of the World Food Programme, Tania Goosens, described the damage as overwhelming.

She said about 80 per cent of Toamasina had been damaged, with the city operating on roughly five per cent of its electricity supply and left without running water. She also confirmed that the WFP’s local office and one of its warehouses were completely destroyed.

A resident loads wood planks on the back of a tricycle in the city of Toamasina, on the east coast of Madagascar, struck by Tropical Cyclone Gezani on February 12, 2026. (Photo by Tsiky SIkonina / AFP)

Images from the city showed streets littered with fallen trees and twisted metal sheets, complicating rescue and recovery efforts. Aid workers reported that many areas remained inaccessible due to collapsed bridges and destroyed roads, adding that conditions in outlying towns and rural communities were even more severe.

In response to the disaster, China has pledged 100 million yuan (around $14.5 million) in assistance, according to Madagascar’s presidency. France also announced it would dispatch food supplies and rescue teams from the island of La Réunion, following an appeal for international support by Madagascar’s leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina.

Meanwhile, concerns that Cyclone Gezani could strike southern Mozambique with full force have eased. Meteorologists said the storm would instead skim the coastline, though it is still expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to the coastal city of Inhambane and the nearby resort town of Tofo.

Local officials in Inhambane have urged residents in temporary housing to relocate to safer areas as a precaution.

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Toyibat Ajose

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