Cyclone Chido: France Fears 100+ of Deaths in Devastated Mayotte

French authorities are bracing for a tragic human toll in Mayotte, the nation’s poorest department, after it was ravaged by Cyclone Chido. Reports suggested that casualties could number in the hundreds, or even thousands. François-Xavier Bieuville, the prefect of Mayotte, expressed grave concerns about the situation in an interview with the public broadcaster Mayotte la 1ère, stating, “I believe there will certainly be several hundred, possibly approaching a thousand, or even a few thousand deaths” given the cyclone’s “violent” impact.

The difficulty in establishing a definitive death toll is compounded by the local Muslim tradition that mandates burial within 24 hours of death, according to the government representative.

Additionally, Mayotte has a significant undocumented population, estimated by the Ministry of the Interior to exceed 100,000 people among its roughly 320,000 inhabitants, complicating efforts to account for all fatalities.

In response to the crisis, a significant air and maritime relief effort was launched from La Réunion, a French territory located approximately 1,400 kilometers away.

Initial flights transporting rescue personnel and essential supplies landed in Mayotte on Sunday, December 15.

Dismissed Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and Overseas Minister François-Noël Buffet are scheduled to arrive in Mayotte Monday morning, December 16, alongside Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, the Minister of Francophonie and a local from the archipelago.

The European Commission, represented by its president Ursula von der Leyen, has expressed its readiness to provide support in the coming days.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, also announced that his organization stands ready to assist the affected population.

Jagan Chapagain from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies further emphasized the urgent need for support, noting the extensive mobilization of the French Red Cross on the ground.

As the race against time continues, aid teams are striving to restore water, food, and electricity supplies to numerous areas that remained without these essentials as of Sunday, December 15.

Long lines formed outside supermarkets as residents sought basic provisions.

The cyclone, which unleashed wind gusts exceeding 220 km/h, has been described as the most powerful to strike the overseas territory in over 90 years.

Mayotte’s densely populated slums were reportedly “completely destroyed,” according to local authorities. Even robust structures sustained severe damage.

Retired nurse Ousseni Balahachi lamented, “It’s a massacre. The courthouse, the prefecture, many services, shops, and schools are down.”

Mamoudzou’s Mayor Ambdilwahedou Soumaila added, “The hospital is affected, schools are impacted. Houses have been totally devastated. This phenomenon spared nothing in its path.”

Despite the destruction, the mayor held out hope for finding survivors amidst the debris.

The cyclone uprooted homes, ripped off metal roofs, and toppled electricity poles, while trees and bamboo were shattered.

Most roads are now impassable, and communications have become exceedingly difficult. Many undocumented immigrants living in the slums did not seek refuge in designated shelters, fearing they would be apprehended and expelled by authorities, a situation lamented by former nurse Balahachi.

“These individuals stayed until the last moment. When they saw the severity of the storm, they began to panic, seeking safe shelter.

But it was already too late, the roofs were starting to come off,” he expressed regrettably.

In a show of solidarity, Pope Francis, during a visit to Corsica on Sunday, December 15, conveyed his spiritual support for the cyclone’s victims, while President Emmanuel Macron, who met with the head of the Catholic Church at Ajaccio airport, pledged to take action for the people of Mayotte.

Source: Le Mauricien