Several hundred and possibly thousands of people may have been killed when the strongest cyclone in nearly a century, Chido, hit the French overseas department of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, a local official said on Sunday, the 15th of December, and already on Monday emergency workers rushed to restore essential services amid growing concerns about the availability of food, water and sanitation, reports Reuters.
Meteo-France reported that the cyclone arrived overnight and had wind speeds of more than 200km/h. It was the strongest storm to hit the islands in more than 90 years, the synoptics said.
“I think we will definitely have several hundred, maybe we will reach a thousand, even several thousand,” said Francois-Xavier Bieuville, the island’s prefect.
The French Interior Ministry said that “it will be difficult to count all the victims of the cyclone” and that it was not yet possible to give a specific figure “because Mayotte is a Muslim country where the dead are buried within 24 hours”.
In Mayotte, aerial footage showed destroyed houses in the mountains and local media images showed a flooded hospital and damaged police boats on the shore. Coconut trees also crashed through the roofs of many buildings.
A 30-second burst of powerful wind storm brought on by Cyclone Chido has struck Mayotte, France 🇫🇷
Key Facts1. Severe Weather Conditions: Intense winds and heavy rainfall reported.2. Record-Breaking Gusts: 220 km/h gust recorded.( December 14, 2024)#Chido | #CycloneChido pic.twitter.com/i2c0bIa8vk
— Weather monitor (@Weathermonitors) December 14, 2024
Video released by the French gendarmerie showed the wreckage of hundreds of makeshift houses after the most powerful cyclone in nearly a century struck the archipelago of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean https://t.co/DPLjzKILCS pic.twitter.com/Yb4q7BFM5d
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 16, 2024
“My thoughts are with our compatriots in Mayotte who have lived through the most terrible hours and who have lost everything, some of them their lives,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.
This disaster is the first challenge that Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has had to face just days after Macron appointed him following the collapse of the previous government.
The cyclone continued to hit northern Mozambique on Sunday, but its impact was not entirely clear. Internet monitoring company NetBlocks said on X that heavy rain and winds had damaged electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.
Over the past decade, thousands of people have illegally attempted to cross the Comoros islands off the East African coast and move to Mayotte, where there is a higher standard of living and access to the French welfare system.
According to the French Ministry of the Interior, more than 100 000 illegal migrants live in Mayotte.
Located almost 8 000 km from Paris, Mayotte is significantly poorer than the rest of France and has been struggling with gang violence and social unrest for decades.
France colonised Mayotte in 1843 and annexed the entire archipelago, including the Comoros, in 1904.
In a referendum held in 1974, 95% of the population backed separation, while 63% voted to remain part of France. Comoros, Anjouan and Moheli declared independence in 1975. Mayotte is still governed from Paris.