The death toll in the French territory of Mayotte from Cyclone Chido is “several hundred” and could approach 1,000, the island’s top government official told local broadcaster Sunday.
The prefect of Mayotte, François-Xavier Bieuville, told the Mayotte la 1ere television channel that “I think there are several hundred dead, maybe we are approaching a thousand.” Even thousands. …Given the violence of this event.’
He said it was extremely difficult to get an exact figure after the Indian Ocean island was hit by the intense tropical cyclone on Saturday, causing widespread destruction. The French Interior Ministry confirmed at least 11 deaths and more than 250 injuries in Mayotte early Sunday, but said the toll was expected to rise substantially.
Mayotte, in the southeast Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, is the poorest island in France and the poorest territory in the European Union. Bieuville said the worst devastation had been seen in the slums of metal shacks and informal structures that characterize much of Mayotte.
Referring to the official death toll so far, he said “this figure is not plausible when you see the images of the slums.”
Chido crossed the southeastern Indian Ocean on Friday and Saturday, also hitting the nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar. It has now made landfall in Mozambique, on the African continent.
Mayotte was directly in the path of the cyclone and suffered extensive damage on Saturday, officials said. The local prefect said it was the worst cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Saturday night after an emergency meeting in Paris that the death toll in Mayotte was feared “to be high” and that the island had been devastated. Prime Minister François Bayrou, who took office on Friday, said public infrastructure had been severely damaged or destroyed, including the main hospital and the airport.
A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows residents sitting next to a road among piles of debris of metal sheets and wood after Cyclone Chido hit the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.
This photo provided on Sunday, December 15, 2024 by the French military shows a damaged house in the French territory of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean.
This photo provided on Sunday, December 15, 2024 by the French army shows soldiers addressing the population in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.
Chido produced winds exceeding 220 kilometers per hour (136 mph), according to the French meteorological service, making it a Category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale.
France wants to open an air and sea bridge to Mayotte
Mayotte has a population of just over 300,000 inhabitants spread over two main islands. In some parts, entire neighborhoods of metal shacks and shacks were leveled, while residents reported many trees uprooted, boats capsized or sunk, and power cut.
Chad Youyou, a resident of Hamjago, in the north of the island, posted videos on Facebook showing the extensive damage in his village and in the surrounding fields and hills, where almost all the trees had been leveled.
“Mayotte is destroyed, we are destroyed,” he said.
Rescuers and firefighters were sent from France and the nearby French territory of Réunion and supplies were also sent on military planes and ships. Damage to the airport’s control tower meant that only military aircraft were able to fly there.
Patrice Latron, prefect of Réunion, said authorities intend to establish an air and sea bridge between Réunion and Mayotte. About 800 more rescuers will be dispatched in the coming days and more than 80 tons of supplies have arrived by air or are on their way by ship. Some of the priorities were restoring electricity and access to drinking water, Latron said.
The French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers have been deployed to “help the population and prevent possible looting.”
This photo provided Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, by the French military shows palm trees during strong winds in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.
This photo provided on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, by the French military shows soldiers patrolling in a military truck in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage and several deaths were reported.
A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows a pile of debris of metal sheets, wood, furniture and belongings after Cyclone Chido hit the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was closely monitoring the situation, while Pope Francis offered prayers for the cyclone victims during a visit on Sunday to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica.
Cyclone hits northern Mozambique
Chido continued its course eastward and into northern Mozambique, while further inland, landlocked Malawi and Zimbabwe warned they may have to evacuate people due to flooding.
In Mozambique, UNICEF said Cabo Delgado province, home to around 2 million people, was the first region affected and many homes, schools and health facilities were completely or partially destroyed.
UNICEF Mozambique spokesman Guy Taylor said communities were facing the prospect of being cut off from schools and health centers for weeks and Mozambique authorities warned there was a high danger of landslides.
December to March is cyclone season in the southeast Indian Ocean and southern Africa has been hit by a series of strong cyclones in recent years. In 2019, Cyclone Idai killed more than 1,300 people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead in several countries last year.
Cyclones carry the risk of flooding and landslides, but puddles of stagnant water can also later lead to deadly outbreaks of the waterborne disease cholera, as well as dengue and malaria.
Studies say cyclones are getting worse due to climate change. They may leave poor southern African countries, which contribute only a small amount to global warming, to deal with major humanitarian crises, underscoring their call for rich nations to provide more aid to confront the impact of climate change.