French Mayotte authorities reported hundreds, possibly thousand dead due to cyclone
The consequences of Cyclone Chido on the Comoros archipelago (twitter.com/Gendarmerie).
The French overseas department of Mayotte, located in the Indian Ocean, is experiencing the most powerful cyclone in a century, Chido. The number of casualties could reach nearly one thousand, reports Mayotte's prefect, Francois-Xavier Bieuville, according to local media channel La 1ere.
The prefect of Mayotte has provided an initial assessment of the situation on the archipelago following the passage of cyclone Chido.
While the official number of casualties or injuries cannot be determined at this time, as stated by the French Ministry of the Interior, Bieuville estimates that there have been at least several hundred deaths.
Quelle tristesse! Ce n’est pas comme si nous n’avions alerté tant de fois et encore récemment en juin lors de la commission d’enquête de @AssembleeNat que je présidais. Nous avons besoin de secours sous le sceau de l’urgence et rétablir l’électricité à l’hôpital #Mayotte #Chido pic.twitter.com/A2an4itKSD
— Mansour KAMARDINE - Officiel (@Kamardine_M) December 14, 2024
Quelle tristesse! Ce n’est pas comme si nous n’avions alerté tant de fois et encore récemment en juin lors de la commission d’enquête de @AssembleeNat que je présidais. Nous avons besoin de secours sous le sceau de l’urgence et rétablir l’électricité à l’hôpital #Mayotte #Chido pic.twitter.com/A2an4itKSD
— Mansour KAMARDINE - Officiel (@Kamardine_M) December 14, 2024
"It is extremely difficult to get a count; we have a count related to the hospital," he said.
Earlier, official reports indicated 11 dead and nearly 250 injured in Mayotte due to the cyclone. Beuville has called these figures unlikely.
"I believe there are several hundred deaths; we may approach a thousand... Without a doubt, some deaths will go unregistered," the prefect said.
#Chido Soutien aux Mahorais et à nos camarades mobilisés à #Mayotte. Des renforts de gendarmes seront déployés sur place pour appuyer les équipes engagées. pic.twitter.com/iiDAjcgprU
— Gendarmerie nationale (@Gendarmerie) December 15, 2024
Cyclone Chido, which struck Mayotte with winds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour, damaged homes, government buildings, and a hospital.
According to meteorologists, this was the strongest storm in over 90 years to hit the islands.
Plusieurs centaines, voire des milliers de morts : les autorités craignent un bilan humain très lourd à Mayotte, le département le plus pauvre de France dévasté par le cyclone Chido, où les secours ont été renforcés dimanche par pont aérien #AFPVertical pic.twitter.com/Gi88tT8lYX
— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) December 15, 2024
"Honestly, what we are experiencing is a tragedy, you feel like you are in the aftermath of a nuclear war… I saw an entire neighborhood disappear," a Mayotte resident told Reuters.
French President Emmanuel Macron, commenting on the devastating cyclone, expressed that his thoughts are with our fellow citizens in Mayotte, who endured the most horrific hours and who, for some, have lost everything, including their lives.
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
Note: Mayotte is located approximately 8,000 km from Paris. This French overseas department is situated in the Mozambique Channel, between northern Mozambique and the northern part of Madagascar. It consists of the main island of Grande-Terre (or Maore), the smaller island of Petite-Terre (or Pamandzi), and several other tiny islets.
Geographically, Mayotte belongs to the Comoros Islands. Politically, as a French department, it is part of the European Union (since 2014). More than three-quarters of the population of this archipelago live below the poverty line.
