Powerful cyclone hit the island: Casualties are being counted PHOTO/MAP

“At least three people have been killed and more than 28,000 people affected by Cyclone Fytia, which struck Madagascar”, the country’s National Office for Disaster Risk Management said.

As reported, one person lost their life when a tree fell on them, another drowned, and a third was buried under the rubble of a house, according to the local outlet L’Express.mg. One person is listed as missing after being swept away by a river, while five others were injured.

The cyclone made its first landfall on Saturday morning local time, with winds reaching 150 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 210 kilometers per hour. More than 8,484 people have been displaced, of whom 7,326 are housed in 34 shelters, while another 1,158 have found refuge with family or neighbors. Homes were also severely damaged—6,139 houses were flooded, 104 damaged, and 813 destroyed.

Many students will not be able to return to school immediately, after 24 classrooms were partially or completely destroyed. The death toll could rise in future reports, as information is still being collected and verified, according to the National Office for Disaster Risk Management.