The bodies of two homeless people were found on Tuesday in Reunion, bringing the number of deaths on the French island in the Indian Ocean to three after the cyclone struck the day before. Belal.
The meteorological phenomenon also swept Mauritius, where the maximum alert was lifted in the morning.
In Reunion, “unfortunately, we discovered two other bodies which would be those of homeless people who had refused emergency accommodation,” declared the Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories, Gérald Darmanin, during the question session to the government at the National Assembly.
On Monday, the lifeless body of another homeless person was found in Saint-Gilles, in the west of Reunion, during the first hours of the passage of the tropical cyclone over this overseas territory of 870,000 inhabitants.
Belal then continued its journey towards Mauritius, approximately 200 km to the northeast, which it swept with torrential rains and violent winds, killing at least one person on this island.
After ordering residents to stay at home on Monday, the Mauritius government eased the restriction on Tuesday, with the National Meteorological Service (MMS) advising “to stay in safe places”. The island was hit by torrential rains and winds recorded at more than 100 km/h.
The red alert requiring residents of Reunion Island to stay at home due to the cyclone was lifted on Tuesday at noon local time.
In Mauritius, a tourist island of around 1.3 million inhabitants popular for its white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, thousands of people found themselves without electricity and many cars submerged by water.
In the capital Port-Louis, cars were immobilized with water up to their hoods, sometimes even swept away by the current.
Police said the body of a motorcyclist was found on a flooded highway, the victim of a road accident.
Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, in a statement on national television on Monday, confirmed one death. He also criticized the MMS for its lack of anticipation in the face of the cyclone, and announced that its director had submitted his resignation.
“I must recognize that the country has experienced difficult times due to the cyclone Belal “, he declared, adding that he was “surprised that the arrival of heavy rains was not anticipated by the meteorological services” and saying he shared “the anger of many Mauritians”.
Agricultural sector affected
Gérald Darmanin, who will travel to Reunion on Wednesday, “welcomed the State services in conjunction with local authorities and particularly the exceptional work of the prefect, Jérome Filippini”, which made it possible to “save many lives” .
The damage caused on the French island particularly affected the agricultural sector, with the president of the local chamber of agriculture, Frédéric Vienne, saying he hoped that an order recognizing the state of natural disaster would be issued as quickly as possible.
Belalonce again becoming a “moderate tropical storm”, continued its route southeast of Reunion and Mauritius, the two main islands of the Mascarene archipelago, late Tuesday afternoon.
Mauritius was hit in February 2023 by heavy rains and violent winds from Cyclone Freddy, which devastated southeast Africa, particularly in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar.
The last “intense” cyclone that hit Reunion Island — a stage that ultimately did not reach Belalless cataclysmic than expected — was Bejisa, in the very first days of 2014.
Around ten storms or cyclones cross the southwest Indian Ocean each year during the cyclone season, which extends from November to April.
with Thibault Marchand in Paris