Air Mauritius has issued a statement confirming that its office in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, has been looted by anti-government protestors.
The airline said the break-in took place on Thursday (September 25), when large-scale protests against the government of President Andry Rajoelina devolved into vandalism and violent clashes with security forces.
Air Mauritius, the flag carrier of Madagascar’s closest neighbour and major trading partner, said that "peripheral devices” and other IT equipment were stolen during the incident, but no staff were harmed.
Despite a fire breaking out on the ground floor, all employees were able to leave the premises safely, and the fire was extinguished.
The office is now temporarily closed, but the airline said it will dispatch an on-site technical team “as soon as possible” to restore the IT system.
Throughout this month, protests have erupted in Madagascar in response to persistent blackouts, power cuts and water outages.
Local media report that, for a period of months, residents of Antananarivo have suffered frequent water and power outages, sometimes lasting over 12 hours a day.
So far several demonstrators have been shot dead in clashes with police, and more than 50 have been injured.
The government attempted to impose a curfew in Antananarivo on September 25 – the same day the Air Mauritius office was looted.
The protests, dubbed the Leo Délestage movement, are ongoing.