- Title: MADAGASCAR: REFUGEES FLEE FLOODWATERS IN TANANARIVE REGION
- Date: 7th January 1970
- Summary: 1. GV FLOODED COUNTRY-SIDE 0.09 2. MV WATER POURING OVER BROKEN EMBANKMENT PAN FLOODED COUNTRYSIDE 0.25 3. GV FLOODED LAND 0.29 4. MV PEOPLE TRYING TO SALVAGE RICE CROP (3 SHOTS) 0.41 5. MV PEOPLE WALKING ALONG ROAD IN POURING RAIN 0.46 6. MV WOMEN WORKING ON RICE CROP 0.53 7. MV PEOPLE SHELTERING IN CART FROM RAIN 0.54
- Embargoed: 22nd January 1970 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: AROUND TANANARIVE, MADAGASCAR
- Country: Madagascar
- Reuters ID: LVAEPBSSPA4BG9ZINNNY24A2FFVQ
- Story Text: NEARLY A WEEK OF TROPICAL RAIN ON THE MADAGASCAR PLATEAUX MENACED THE CAPITAL, TANANARIVE, WITH FLOODING THIS WEEK. RIVERS BURST THEIR BANKS IN THE REGION OF THE CAPITAL AND SEVERAL VILLAGES WERE EVACUATED.
THERE WERE GRAVE FEARS THAT THE RAINS WOULD BRING A RECURRENCE OF THE DISASTROUS TANANARIVE FLOODS OF 1959, IN WHICH DOZENS OF PEOPLE DIED.
IN THE COUNTRYSIDE AROUND THE CAPITAL, PEASANTS WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK IN AN ATTEMPT TO SAVE THE RICE CROP FROM RISING FLOODWATERS. AND IN THE CITY, A SPECIAL COMMITTEE WAS SET UP TO CO-ORDINATE MEASURES TO COMBAT FLOODING.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, M. PHILIBERT TSIRANANA, FLEW OVER THE INUNDATED AREAS BY HELICOPTER FOR AN EYE-WITNESS IMPRESSION OF FLOOD DAMAGE, PRIOR TO LEAVING FOR A MEETING OF THE ORGANISATION OF ASSOCIATED AFRICAN STATES AND MADAGASCAR IN CAMEROUN.
SO FAR, NO ESTIMATE OF THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN RELEASED. BESIDES LEAVING DOZENS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS, THE WATERS ALSO FLOODED A TELEVISION STATION. BUT BY TUESDAY, THE RAINS HAD ABATED AND THE WATER LEVEL HAD BEGUN TO SUBSIDE.
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