Local authorities say hundreds or even thousands of people may have died when Typhoon Chido hit Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean. The French Interior Ministry said it could not determine the number of victims at this stage. It is the strongest storm to hit the island of 300,000 people in nearly a century.
Typhoon Chido hit Mayotte on Saturday, which is located between Madagascar and Mozambique, with winds of more than 220 kilometers per hour. Many houses were destroyed and floods occurred.
On Sunday, 14 confirmed deaths were reported. But authorities fear that their number is actually much higher. – I think, without a doubt, there will be a few hundred, even a thousand, maybe even a few thousand, said the prefect of Mayotte, François-Xavier Bieville, in an interview with the local station of Mayotte la 1ere.
The French Interior Ministry, when asked about the death toll, said it was impossible to determine the exact number of deaths at this stage. The ministry noted that an accurate count of the number of victims would be difficult because according to Muslim tradition, which has strong roots in Mayotte, the dead must be buried within 24 hours.
Destruction in Mayotte after storm Civil Security France/X
“Houses are completely destroyed”
The natural disaster destroyed hundreds of temporary houses in the slum district. Mayotte, which is more than eight thousand kilometers away from Paris, is the poorest department of France. It is also a destination for illegal immigration from the islands of the Comoros archipelago. According to the information of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than 100 thousand illegal immigrants live in Mayotte. Its population is over 300,000 people. people, including about 77 percent of residents live below the poverty line.
Many communal facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Agence France-Presse reported that illegal immigrants living in slums often do not report to designated shelters, despite authorities' recommendations, because they fear it is a trap aimed at arresting and deporting them from the island.
Destruction in Mayotte after the cyclone PAP/EPA/ETAT-MAJOR DES ARMEE
Ambdilvahedu Sumaila, the mayor of Mamudzu, the capital of Mayotte, said the storm “didn't miss anything in its path”. “The houses are completely destroyed,” he said. Most roads are impassable.
Local media reported that Dzaudzi-Pamandzi International Airport and the island's largest hospital were “severely damaged”.
It is planned that on Monday, the head of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs, Bruno Retailho, will visit this place. President Emmanuel Macron assured that he will closely monitor the situation.
Strongest cyclone in almost a century
Chido is the strongest and most destructive tropical storm to hit Mayotte since 1934.
The cyclone season in the Indian Ocean region lasts from December to March. Only about six percent is produced in this part of the world each year. tropical cyclones of the world, but they are the most destructive, causing widespread destruction in densely populated countries in their path – from Mauritius, through the Comoros and Madagascar archipelagos, to Mozambique and the southern part of Tanzania. Hurricanes rarely come inland.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/ETAT-MAJOR DES ARMEE
