France Cyclone "Chido": Prefect suspects hundreds dead on Mayotte
Hundreds of people may have died in the French overseas territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean as a result of Cyclone Chido. The local prefect François-Xavier Bieuville told the Mayotte la 1ère radio station that even one day after the storm, there were still no final official death toll figures. However, he said: "I think there are certainly several hundred." It is also possible that thousands of people lost their lives in the storm. More than 250 people were injured. The extent is still completely unclear.
15.12.2024, 19:18
SDA
The French overseas territory of Mayotte is located in the Indian Ocean, roughly between the coast of the south-east African country of Mozambique and the island state of Madagascar. Around 310,000 people live on the archipelago.
President Emmanuel Macron said at a meeting with Pope Francis on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica: "I would like to think of our fellow citizens on Mayotte who have experienced the worst in the past few hours and some of whom have lost everything, lost their lives."
"Many of us have lost everything"
"Chido" has caused great devastation on Mayotte. All precarious dwellings were destroyed by the hurricane, said France's acting Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. He is expected to arrive in the overseas territory on Monday. Thousands of households were reportedly without power. There was also damage to the local airport. Roads were blocked and some areas were cut off. A flight with relief supplies arrived from the mainland on Sunday.
Mayotte had not experienced such a devastating cyclone for 90 years, the prefecture announced on Facebook. "Many of us have lost everything."
Prefect Bieuville said that 10,000 people had been taken to 120 emergency shelters as a precaution because of the cyclone. The local authorities had called on people to seek shelter in a solid dwelling because of the storm and not to go outside. According to the French weather service Météo France, gusts of wind with a speed of more than 220 kilometers per hour swept over Mayotte on Saturday.
Cyclone moves on to the African mainland
On Sunday morning, the cyclone also hit Mozambique on the African mainland. The storm reached speeds of up to 240 kilometers per hour there. According to the United Nations Children's Fund, Unicef, it destroyed and damaged numerous houses, schools and health facilities in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. The region was "severely affected", according to Unicef. However, the extent of the destruction cannot yet be estimated. According to the Mozambican Center for Civil Protection, the power grid in Cabo Delgado and the neighboring province of Nampula has collapsed, making rescue work difficult.
