In the Mayotte cyclone, hundreds or even thousands of people might have died

The French Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte was struck by the strongest cyclone in almost a century on Sunday, killing hundreds, if not thousands, of people, according to a top local French official.

Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville stated on the local media outlet Mayotte La 1ere, “I think there will certainly be several hundreds, maybe we will reach a thousand, even several thousands.”

The French interior ministry responded that “it will be difficult to account for all victims” and that it was not yet possible to determine the exact number of people killed by Cyclone Chido.

With winds of nearly 200 kph (124 mph), Cyclone Chido struck Mayotte overnight, according to Meteo-France, causing damage to a hospital, government buildings, and residential areas. According to the forecaster, it was the greatest storm to slam the islands in over 90 years.

“To be honest, what we are going through is terrible; it feels like a nuclear war has just ended. “I witnessed a whole neighborhood vanish,” Mohamed Ishmael, a resident of Mamoudzou, the capital of Mayotte, told Reuters over the phone.

The debris of hundreds of improvised homes scattered over the slopes of one of Mayotte’s islands, which have served as a hub for illegal immigration from neighboring Comoros, was visible in aerial film released by the French gendarmerie.

Images from the local media showed a mother pushing a newborn baby’s crib through the hospital’s flooded hallway in Mayotte. Coconut trees had smashed through the roofs of numerous buildings, and police boats that had capsized were lying onshore.

“My thoughts are with our compatriots in Mayotte, who have gone through the most horrific few hours, and who have, for some, lost everything, lost their lives,” Macron, the president of France, stated.

Since Mayotte offers a better standard of living and access to the French social system, thousands of people have tried to cross from Comoros, which is off the coast of East Africa, in recent decades.

According to the French interior ministry, Mayotte is home to more than 100,000 unauthorized migrants.

Authorities said it was challenging to determine the exact number of fatalities following the cyclone, which also sparked worries about access to food, water, and sanitary facilities.

Earlier, a French interior ministry official stated, “It’s going to be complicated for the toll, because Mayotte is a Muslim land where the dead are buried within 24 hours.”

Mayotte, which is around 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) from Paris, is more poorer than the rest of France and has long struggled with social upheaval and gang violence.

In Mayotte, approximately 75% of the population is below the French poverty level. Earlier this year, a water crisis exacerbated tensions.

The administration announced that work was underway to install an air bridge from Reunion Island, another French overseas territory on Madagascar’s opposite side.
The catastrophe marks Prime Minister Francois Bayrou’s first obstacle since Macron appointed him in the wake of the previous government’s collapse.

On Sunday, the cyclone made landfall in northern Mozambique, however it remained unclear how much of an impact it would have. On X, internet watchdog NetBlocks reported that strong winds and rain had harmed telecommunications and electrical systems.

Authorities in Comoros reported that 21 residences were destroyed, 24 people were displaced, and two people suffered minor injuries.

Mayotte was colonized by France in 1843, and in 1904, the entire archipelago—including Comoros—was annexed.

In a 1974 referendum, 63% of Mayotte voters chose to remain French, while 95% supported secession. In 1975, Moheli, Anjouan, and Grande Comore proclaimed their independence. Paris continues to control over Mayotte.