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Tropical Cyclone Bingiza made landfall on Madagascar on February 14, 2011, as pictured by NASA NASA Godard Photo and Video via Flickr
Cyclone
Deaths as Cyclone Bingiza strikes Madagascar
Damage to island assessed as category 3 cyclone hits during peak of cyclone season.
FOURTEEN PEOPLE WERE killed and at least 6,000 homes destroyed during a five-day cyclone that struck Indian Ocean island Madagascar last week, Irin Global reports.
Cyclone Bingiza, a category three cyclone, made landfall in the early hours of 14 February, striking the northeastern Sava region of the island.
With wind speeds of 160 km an hour and gusts of up to 220 km, there was much damage to the island.
According to Irin Global, the National Disaster Risk Management Office (BNGRC) reported 14 deaths, eight people missing and 5,591 traditionally built houses destroyed.
Cyclone season in Madagascar is from October to March, peaking in February.
The government has decided against declaring a national emergency.
Initial findings by aid agencies found substantial damage to food crops, leading to worries about food security.
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