Miguel Praga

🌩 Cyclone Garance hit Réunion Island, a French enclave in the Indian Ocean, last weekend, causing significant damage, particularly in the east and north. Red alert lifted, airport resumed operations, but full recovery will take years. Four fatalities occurred despite strong winds. Power outages affected 37% of homes (120,000 residents), 310,000 people left without water, one-third without internet or landline, and mobile coverage reduced to two-thirds. Unusually high wind gusts reached 230 km/h. Infrastructure, including roads and vehicles, severely damaged. Firefighters from mainland France called in for assistance. Beaches closed, hiking banned, impacting tourists during French school holidays.

✈ Qatar Airways faced criticism for making passengers fly for four hours with a deceased person seated beside them. The airline responded, saying the crew acted "quickly, appropriately, and professionally," following their manual. The complaining couple was moved to different seats, and a crew member sat next to the deceased until landing in Doha. Compensation was offered to the deceased's family and affected passengers. Jennifer Ring, a witness, expressed her dismay on Australian TV, stating that passengers were not allowed to disembark before the body was moved.