As a result of Cyclone Batsirai, six people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced in Madagascar.

MAHANORO (AFP) – MAHANORO, Madagascar (AFP) – Marc Ravalomanana, Madagascar’s president, has resigned. According to the national disaster management agency, Cyclone Batsirai blasted into Madagascar overnight, killing at least six people and displacing nearly 48,000 people.

The hurricane passed across the tiny Indian Ocean island country overnight, but not before leaving devastation. The country is still recuperating from a devastating tropical storm earlier this year.

Before the storm hit, an AFP correspondent saw heavy rains and wind in Mananjary’s eastern district, leading local residents to weigh down their corrugated iron roofs.

According to the country’s meteorological bureau, the rain will cause flooding in numerous parts of Madagascar.

Batsirai made landfall in Mananjary on Saturday night as a “strong tropical cyclone” with winds of 165 kilometres per hour, according to Faly Aritiana Fabien of the country’s disaster management office (102 miles per hour).

His colleague Paolo Emilio Raholinarivo, who is in charge of risk management at the same organisation, cited the number of deceased and their location in a text message to AFP, but provided no further details.

Despite having previously warned of “severe and extensive devastation,” the national meteorological agency reported Sunday that “Batsirai has weakened.”