ANTANANARIVO: The streets of Madagascar’s capital were largely deserted on Friday as residents assessed the damage from a day of violent protests over frequent power cuts and water shortages.
Hundreds of mostly young demonstrators were met with a heavy police response on Thursday, with rubber bullets and tear gas used to disperse the crowd.
The rampage continued after nightfall, prompting police to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew after banks and stores were looted and set on fire.
Homes belonging to three pro-government parliamentarians were also torched during the unrest.
Protesters set fire to a station of the city’s new cable car system, which is one of the government’s flagship infrastructure projects.
A hospital source confirmed that five protesters were killed in the violence, though official sources have not verified the toll.
Stunned residents, some in tears, assessed the damage on Friday morning according to an AFP journalist at the scene.
A police presence was limited to the city’s main central square, unlike Thursday when security forces patrolled to block demonstrators from gathering.
Traffic resumed in the city centre during the morning, though volumes remained below normal levels.
While the situation appeared calm downtown, reports of looting continued in a commercial district on the outskirts of Antananarivo.
Protesters have voiced anger over persistent water and power cuts that often leave homes and businesses without electricity for over 12 hours each day across the country.
The Indian Ocean island remains one of the poorest countries in the world despite being the leading producer of vanilla, one of the most expensive spices after saffron.
Some people accuse the government of President Andry Rajoelina of failing to improve living conditions for the population.
Rajoelina, 51, was re-elected late last year for a third term in a vote boycotted by the opposition and with less than half of registered voters participating.
He first came to power in 2009 after leading a popular movement and benefiting from a coup that ousted former president Marc Ravalomanana.
After not contesting the 2013 election due to international pressure, he was voted back into office in 2018. – AFP