A race against time has begun in Mayotte, the French archipelago in the Indian Ocean that was severely hit by a deadly cyclone, as efforts focus on restoring essential services amidst fears of hundreds or even thousands of fatalities.
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to chair a meeting on the situation in Mayotte today at 6:00 PM (local time, 7:00 PM Cyprus time).
The former French Ministers of the Interior and Overseas Territories, Bruno Retailleau and François-Noël Buffet respectively, are expected to travel to Mayotte later today. The territory, France’s poorest, was devastated by Cyclone Chido, the most powerful storm to hit the island in 90 years.
The final death toll will be “very difficult” to determine, as Muslim tradition in Mayotte requires burial “within 24 hours,” explained François-Xavier Biéville, the island’s Prefect, on Sunday.
He estimated that the death toll “will certainly reach hundreds, possibly thousands, or even many thousands.”
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
“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“
Furthermore, the large number of undocumented migrants on the island—officially home to around 320,000 residents but with over 100,000 irregular migrants, according to the Interior Ministry—complicates the counting of casualties.
With winds exceeding 220 kilometres per hour, Cyclone Chido struck the small archipelago on Saturday, destroying makeshift shelters where a third of the population lives. These structures were completely obliterated.
Huts and roofs were swept away by the winds, trees uprooted… When residents who had taken refuge in shelters emerged after the storm, they were met with scenes of chaos. Many roads across the island are impassable, and telecommunications have been disrupted.
#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
“#Chido Support for the Mahorais and our comrades mobilised at #Mayotte. Reinforcements of gendarmes will be deployed on site to support the teams involved.“
Rescuers are racing to reach survivors after a powerful cyclone hit the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, laying to waste the territory's shantytowns, with hundreds feared deadhttps://t.co/4ULlrd4OyI pic.twitter.com/k13GSOoERB
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 16, 2024
An air and sea bridge has been established from the French island of Réunion, 1,400 kilometres away, to deliver materials, equipment, medical staff, and rescue workers. A total of 800 civil protection personnel have been deployed, along with a field hospital and satellite communication equipment.
Rescuers expect to find numerous victims in the debris of shantytowns, particularly in the capital Mamoudzou, according to its mayor, Abdilwahed Soumaïla.
Teams “have begun clearing roads to reach remote areas,” where “we hope to find survivors,” he added, noting that he had received “many calls for help.”
The control tower at Mayotte’s airport suffered significant damage and, “at best,” could resume operations “in ten days” for commercial flights, according to a Prefecture source speaking to AFP.
Meanwhile, the state of healthcare in Mayotte is “very dire,” with the hospital sustaining significant damage and other medical centres rendered inoperative, said French Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq today.
“The hospital has been damaged by large volumes of water,” she explained to France 2 television, adding that the main issues affect “the surgical, recovery, emergency, and maternity wards.” Nevertheless, the hospital continues to operate partially.
Many undocumented migrants living in shantytowns did not seek refuge in shelters designated by the Prefecture, fearing it was a trap to deport them, said former nurse Ouseni Balahassy.
Many affected residents have sought refuge in temporary accommodation centres set up by authorities, according to Mayotte Senator Salama Ramia. “Unfortunately, there is no water, electricity, and hunger is starting to rise,” she warned on BFMTV.
“Some of my neighbours are already hungry and thirsty,” added Lucas Disoufou, a resident of Labattoir, explaining that all fruit trees had been uprooted.
Residents also reported insecurity, with looting in the industrial zone of Kawéni in Mamoudzou, said 52-year-old Frédéric Belanger.
“We fear becoming victims of attack and looting,” said Oceanie, a nurse at Mayotte’s hospital, speaking to BFMTV. Approximately 1,600 police officers and gendarmes have been deployed, primarily to “prevent looting,” the Prefecture noted.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen assured that the EU is ready to assist France “in the coming days.”
After striking Mayotte, Cyclone Chido hit northern Mozambique yesterday morning. At least three people were killed there, and many homes were destroyed by strong winds and torrential rains, according to a preliminary report.
However, damages in the neighbouring Comoros archipelago were minimal, except for agriculture.
Hundreds feared dead on the French Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte, after Cyclone Chido — in pictures https://t.co/OD9ANZAJ9H pic.twitter.com/64whmU6OTI
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 16, 2024
Also read: New “red alert” in Valencia for heavy rainfall
Source: Reuters/BBC/CNN/AP/Guardian/Al Jazeera/AFP
