Tropical cyclone Galifo hit Madagascar Sunday, blasting powerful winds across the storm-ravaged north of the Indian Ocean island, as rescue officials said as many as 50,000 people could be left homeless.
"At this point, we don't have much information on the damage", the interior minister, General Soja (eds: one name), said.
"But we are sure the situation is serious since the cyclone has hit regions and cities which were already seriously affected by the cyclone Elita less than a month ago," he said at a crisis meeting in the capital attended by UN workers, weather experts and Madagascar armed forces and police.
South-westerly winds arrived overnight on the island near the city of Antalaha blowing at 120 kilometre's (75 miles) per hour, with gusts as high as 180 kilometers per hour, state weather office director Alain Razafimahazo said.
It was expected to cross the north of the island before exiting toward the ocean by early Monday, but there was a "75-percent chance that it will turn around and cross the island again, from west to east, in the south of Madagascar", he said.
No deaths had been reported, the national rescue center said, adding that one person in Antananarivo was injured when a corrugated roof flew off a building.
"To prepare for our emergency operations, in terms of medicine, blankets and water purification systems, we're starting from the estimate of 50,000 homeless people," Mohamed Aknouche, logistics chief for the UN children's agency (UNICEF) here, said.
Last month, 29 people were killed, 100 injured and 44,000 left homeless in the north by Elita, according to national rescue center figures.
The government of the large island state off Africa's south-east coast has asked for aid.
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