The operation took place in “extremely adverse” weather conditions. Since Wednesday evening, the 860,000 inhabitants of the island were confined.
The sailors of the Mauritian oil tanker stranded near the coast of Reunion Island, in the Indian Ocean, were brought ashore overnight from Thursday to Friday, announced the Prefecture, when the region is swept by the Cyclone Batsirai. “The perilous, very technical and unprecedented operation to rescue the 11 sailors from the ship TRESTA STAR took place successfully between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.“, greeted the prefect.
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This operation was carried outin very unfavorable weather conditions (swell, winds and extreme rain) and on a particularly difficult intervention zone (friable plateau of the 2007 lava flow)“, added the prefecture, specifying that 32 people, rescuers and medical teams, were engaged in this evacuation. The crew is made up of Indians and Bangladeshis, for its part indicated the Ministry of Overseas.
The fuel will disperse in nature
The prefecture clarified overnight from Thursday to Friday that the TrestaStar, a bunker-type tanker, was not transporting goods and contained less than 8 m3 of diesel fuel (light and volatile). The “majority“of this fuel”should disperse without major risk to the environment“, she assured. A team of experts must go there at daybreak on Friday to assess the situation, according to the same source.
SEE ALSO – Floods, rain, strong winds: Reunion hit by cyclone Batsirai
Red alert raised
The island was placed on hurricane red alert Wednesday at 7 p.m. local time, requiring residents to barricade themselves. This alert was lifted this Friday at 9 a.m. (local time).
A backup phase has been triggered, and “is accompanied by the maintenance of a certain number of measures intended to preserve the safety of the population, which will be specified (…) by 09:00“, detailed the prefecture in a press release. Access to the cirques of Salazie and Cilaos remained closed on Thursday, as did the coastal road which connects the administrative capital Saint-Denis to the port and the heavily populated western towns. The Mountain road leading to Saint-Denis was also closed.
“43,634 households» without electricity
The prefect again asked the 860,000 inhabitants of the island to remain vigilant in terms of floods and rising waters: “we still have seven rivers placed in yellow vigilance, but their passage in orange vigilance is to be expected in the next few hours in view of the precipitation“. The prefect deplored 12 injuries during the night from Wednesday to Thursday and listed Thursday evening 38 interventions directly linked to the cyclone “for small events“.
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Ten people were poisoned with carbon monoxide, in the commune of Le Tampon, because of a generator. A firefighter was alsoelectrified during an intervention on a flag fire in Saint-Denisand a person injured in Le Tampon after falling from a roof. Water cuts persisted on the island and “43,634 households“remained deprived of electricity Thursday evening, according to the prefect.
“After Reunion, the island of Madagascar will be affected on Saturday with a major impact since it will still be, according to the latest projections, in category 3.“, predicts the Weather Channel *. “In particular the Mahanoro region, possibly at the stage of an intense tropical cyclone. A major impact could affect this region and heavy rains affect the southern half of Madagascar», Specifies the last bulletin of cyclonic activity.
*The Weather Channel is a property of the Le Figaro group