Cyclone Chido batters France’s Mayotte, hundreds feared dead

MAYOTTE (France): Several hundred people are feared killed in the French territory of Mayotte after Cyclone Chido, the most severe storm to hit the French territory, hit the archipelago, Al Jazeera reported citing authorities.

Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville told the local broadcaster Mayotte La 1ere that the death toll could be in the thousands. He said he could not provide a specific figure. The French interior ministry said “it will be difficult to account for all victims” at this stage. Officials previously confirmed at least 11 deaths.

Weather forecaster Meteo France said the cyclone swept through the French territory in the Indian Ocean, bringing winds of more than 200km/h (124mph) and damaging makeshift housing, government buildings and a hospital. “Everyone understands that this was a cyclone that was unexpectedly violent”, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou told reporters after an evening inter-ministerial meeting on Saturday.

Cyclone in Mayotte: “Everything has flown away, there is almost nothing left”, say, devastated residents.

Cyclone Chido killed at least 14 people on the French Indian Ocean island territory of Mayotte, a security source told AFP Sunday.#Mayotte #Mozambique #Rain #Wind #Chido pic.twitter.com/c54sTnW4ss

— GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) December 15, 2024

A senior official said on Sunday (local time) that the death toll from Cyclone Chido’s passage across Mayotte can be in the thousands, as France rushed in rescue workers and supplies, France 24 reported. “I think there will definitely be several hundred, perhaps we will come close to a thousand or even several thousand deaths”, prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville told broadcaster Mayotte la Premiere.

Located nearly 8,000 km (4,970 miles) from Paris, the Mayotte archipelago is significantly poorer than the rest of the country and has grappled with violence and social unrest for decades, according to Al Jazeera. Chido was also expected to make landfall on Sunday in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado or Nampula provinces.

Amid this situation, European Union President, Ursula von der Leyen, affirmed her support to France. In a post on X, she said, “Our hearts go out to France following the devastating passage of Cyclone Chido in Mayotte. Europe stands alongside the people of Mayotte in this terrible ordeal. We are ready to provide support in the coming days.”

Nous sommes de tout coeur avec la France suite au passage dévastateur du cyclone Chido à Mayotte.

L’Europe est aux côtés des Mahorais dans cette terrible épreuve.

Nous sommes prêts à apporter du soutien dans les jours à venir.

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 15, 2024

Weather forecaster Meteo France said the cyclone swept through the French territory in the Indian Ocean, bringing winds of more than 200km/h and damaging makeshift housing, government buildings and a hospital. “Everyone understands that this was a cyclone that was unexpectedly violent”, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou told reporters after an evening inter-ministerial meeting on Saturday, as per Al Jazeera.

“For the toll, it’s going to be complicated, because Mayotte is a Muslim land where the dead are buried within 24 hours. It will take several days to establish the death toll, but we fear that it is heavy”, a French Ministry of Interior official said, as quoted by Al Jazeera. (ANI)