Tropical Storm Ana leaves dozens dead in southern Africa

LONDON -- Dozens of people are dead after a tropical storm struck southern Africa this week.

Tropical Storm Ana made landfall in Madagascar on Monday before barreling through Mozambique and Malawi later in the week, leaving a trail of devastation in its path. The powerful cyclone lashed the region with torrential rains and gusty winds that destroyed homes, damaged infrastructure and submerged farmland.

Officials across the three countries were still assessing the full scope of the disaster on Friday.

Madagascar's government has declared a state of national disaster due to Ana. More than 110,000 people were affected in seven regions across the island nation, including almost 72,000 who have been displaced from their homes. At least 41 people have died, according to Madagascar's Ministry of the Interior.

Meanwhile, over 400 school buildings were flooded and about 55 were destroyed by the storm. Analamanga in central Madagascar was the country's hardest-hit region, the interior ministry said.

In Mozambique, some 45,400 people were affected by Ana, along with 137 schools, 346 classrooms, 132 power stations and 12 health centers. At least 18 people have died and 99 others were injured, according to Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD), the government agency responsible for coordinating disaster risk management activities.

A total of 7,315 private homes were partially destroyed by the storm, while 2,765 were completely destroyed, the INGD said.

In neighboring Malawi, more than 48,000 households across 15 southern districts -- some 217,000 people -- were affected by Ana. At least 10 people have died and 107 others were injured, according to the government of Malawi.

The storm knocked out electricity for most of the country early in the week, as power stations were forced to shut down due to rising floodwaters and accumulating debris. Power was restored to some parts of the country by mid-week, but destruction along a mile-long stretch of the electrical grid was still undergoing repair, according to the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), the state-owned power transmission and distribution company.

The floodwaters have also ruined many hectares of crops, washed away livestock and wrecked roads and bridges. A state of disaster has been declared in all affected districts, Malawi's government said.

Remnants of Ana passed over Zimbabwe, but there were no storm-related deaths reported.