Toll of cyclone Ernest

According to an official toll, Hurricane Ernest, which lashed the southern coasts of the Grande Ile at the end of January, has claimed 15 lives while 63 went missing. The cyclone season in Madagascar lasts from December to March. In march 2004, the hurricane Gafilo claimed the lives of 241 victims, while another tropical storm, Elita, had caused the death of 29 casualties the previous month.