Cyclone “Chido” has hit the small archipelago Mayotte in Indian Ocean hard. Authorities are worried about a high death rate. It could be some time until there is certainty. Mayotte, a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean is concerned about the death toll after the destructive cyclone “Chido”.
The full extent of the deaths is still unknown. “I think there are certainly several hundred”, said the local prefect, François-Xavier Bieuville, to the Mayotte la 1ère radio station. It is possible that thousands of people were killed in the storm. Bruno Retailleau, France’s interim Interior Minister, is expected to arrive on the scene later today.
Storm on Mayotte Death toll is difficult for a number to be determined
As of yet, there are few reliable reports on casualties. According to the local media, 14 deaths were officially registered.
Bieuville said that the hospital figures are official, but not plausible. Bieuville said there are likely dead people who aren’t listed, since people on Mayotte can burry their relatives within 24 hour according to Muslim traditions – and they don’t appear on hospital documents.
It is difficult to estimate the true extent of the problem. Interior Minister Retailleau noted that it could take several days to determine the exact number of deaths.
Wind speeds greater than 220 km/h
Mayotte is a French oversea territory located in the Indian Ocean. It is roughly halfway between the coasts of Mozambique, an island country in south-east Africa, and Madagascar. The archipelago is home to around 310,000 people.
“Chido”, the hurricane, caused great devastation to the island. Retailleau, France’s interior minister, said that the hurricane destroyed all the poor dwellings. There were problems with the telephone network and water supply, as well as thousands of households without electricity. Roads were closed and some areas cut off.
According to reports the hospital and school in the island capital Mamoudzou was also hit. Mayotte announced on Facebook that it had not seen a destructive cyclone like this in 90 years.
“Many of our have lost everything.”
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.
President Emmanuel Macron said, “I would like you to think of our Mayotten citizens who have suffered the worst in recent hours and some have lost everything. They have even lost their lives.”
Cyclone hits the African continent
“Chido” made its way then to Mozambique, on the African continent. The storm reached speeds up to 240 km/hr. According to Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund), it destroyed and damaged many houses, schools, and health facilities in northern province Cabo Delgado.
The region is “severely damaged”, although the extent of the damage is not yet known. According to the Mozambican Center for Civil Protection (MCCP), the power grid in Cabo Delgado, and the neighboring Nampula province collapsed, making the rescue work difficult.
