At least two killed after Cyclone Belal batters France’s Reunion and Mauritius

At least two people have been killed after cyclone Belal wreaked havoc on the French island of La Reunion and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The island nation had issued a maximum cyclone alert warning, which was removed later on Tuesday (Jan 16) as the officials moved to assess the devastation.

Situation in Mauritius

In Mauritius, the cyclone caused the death of one person, left thousands without power, flooded buildings, and led to a large blockade on the streets after major flooding left cars submerged under a deluge of water or piled up on the road.

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Earlier on Tuesday, the Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS) said it was raising its alert to the maximum level, however, the alert was lifted at 0610 GMT.

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The French island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean issued its maximum-level cyclone alert on Monday (Jan 15) morning, placing hundreds of thousands of people under a strict lockdown. The island territory issued its highest cyclone warning for the first time since 1989.

Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth addressed the nation on Monday (Jan 15) and criticised the weather agency announcing that its director has resigned. He also confirmed that one person had died in a road accident.

The government had asked people to stay indoors, but the recent MMS update said people were now “strongly advised to maintain precaution and stay in safe places”.

On Monday, the cyclone also prompted the closure of the international airport in Mauritius until further notice and Air Mauritius announced that several flights scheduled for Tuesday have been cancelled.

In its recent update, the MMS said Belal was about 210 kilometres off Blue Bay, which lies on the southeast of Mauritius and is “moving away from our region” with a speed of 18 km/h.

It added, “Hence, there are no longer any risks of having cyclonic conditions over Mauritius but other environmental risks exist.”

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The cyclone could lead to winds of 80 kilometres an hour and waves of up to seven metres, the National Emergency Operations Command had warned, posing a risk of flooding in low-altitude areas.

‘Sad and angry’

In his address to the nation, Jugnauth lashed out at the MMS for the events on Monday and said that he was “sad and angry”.

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He acknowledged the “difficult time” that the island nation is facing due to the storm, adding that all decisions made by the government had depended on information from the MMS.

“I am surprised that the arrival of the heavy rains was not anticipated by the weather services. I share the anger of many Mauritians. Those responsible will have to assume their responsibilities,” said the Mauritian PM.

Images and videos of the flood-hit capital city of Port Louis on Monday showed cars being carried away in the flood water, while others were nearly submerged.

(With inputs from agencies)