Post-Belal: other sanctions will rain down

The sanction taken against Ram Dhurmea, director of meteorological services in Mauritius after the passage of cyclone Belal which wreaked havoc in Port-Louis and elsewhere, should not be the only one. According to sources close to the Prime Minister's office, other sanctions could follow against several heads of government institutions. Strong criticism has been expressed regarding the lack of responsiveness and mismanagement on the part of the authorities, which resulted in the endangerment of hundreds of motorists found trapped in their vehicles and thousands of civil servants who were on the streets of the capital at the height of the cyclone.

The government has allocated nearly a billion rupees to compensate those who suffered losses during the floods. The Special Desk of the Financial Services Commission has received 761 claims for compensation for damaged vehicles, of which 283 have already been processed, resulting in the payment of Rs 172.2 million.