The images, shot last January, show a violent clash between the police and the supporters of a dissident, Rajoelina, who had called for the President Ravalomanana's resignation. Astrada was the only photojournalist there shooting for a foreign news agency.

"I was sent to cover the political tension but when I first arrived, on 05 January, it was very quiet," says Astrada. "Two days later, on the 07 January, there was a protest of 20,000 people, but it was still very quiet and calm. Then about 2000 people decided to go to the presidential offices.

"There were only about 10 police but suddenly the presidential guards inside the offices started shooting. At first I thought they were shooting in the air, as they usually do, then I started to see people with blood."

Astrada says he initially tried to find somewhere to hide and take photographs but, when he realised there was nowhere to run to and the scale of the massacre, started shooting there and then. The first round of fire lasted about 40 seconds then stopped, but the police then opened fire again, wounding protestors who had gone to help the first victims. In total 212 people were wounded and 26 died.

After the shooting Astrada went straight back to his hotel to file his images to Agence France Presse, fearful that they would be destroyed by the police. He sent about 13 images in total - everything he was able to take. Some of the images were very graphic, he says, but he left it to the AFP editors to decide whether they could be used or not. To his relief, though, AFP sent out every single one. "I thought it was important people know what happened," he says. "It was a massacre."

Astrada was the only photographer on the island on the island working for the foreign press but, to his disappointment, his images were used in just eight newspapers, including the New York Times, a Spanish title and a selection of French papers (Madagascar was once a French colony). But the images have since gone on to win acclaim in the photojournalist community, however. They were exhibited at Visa Pour L'Image last year and will make a comeback at the festival later this year as part of the World Press Photo exhibition. In 2008 Astrada picked up first prize in the single image category of BJP's International Photography Award.