Madagascar cyclone kills 21, leaves homes and lives in ruins

Residents of a coastal town in Madagascar that was battered by Cyclone Batsirai over the weekend were left picking through the wreckage of their homes on Monday, collecting soaking wet clothing and anything else worth salvaging.

The cyclone killed 21 people and displaced more than 60,000 after it slammed into the Indian Ocean island late on Saturday, knocking down houses and electricity lines along the southeastern coastline until it moved away late on Sunday.

It also destroyed crops of rice, fruits and vegetables that were close to being harvested, worsening a food shortage in an area that was already struggling with the consequences of a severe drought, the United Nations' food aid agency said.

In Mananjary, one of the worst affected towns, many houses had been completely flattened, while others still had walls standing but their roofs were missing. Debris and uprooted palm trees lying on their sides were everywhere.

"My house started to crack and we had to leave, all of a sudden it collapsed," said resident Sezie Kajy, who was picking up clothes from her ruined home