Cyclone Chido wreaks havoc in Mayotte hundreds fear dead

Hundreds are feared dead after Cyclone Chido wreaked a havoc causing widespread devastation in the French island territory of Mayotte on Indian Ocean over the weekend.

The officials have confirmed 20 deaths, local authorities stated that the number of victims could be in hundreds or even thousands. Mayotte’s prefect has warned that the final toll could reach close to a thousand or even several thousand.

Weather forecaster Meteo France said the cyclone swept through the French territory in the Indian Ocean, bringing winds of more than 200km/h (124mph) and damaging makeshift housing, government buildings and a hospital.

It is believed to be the worst to hit the island in 90 years – with waves up to eight metres high.

People are calling for aid, as the Island, located between Madagascar and the Mozambique coast, is left without power since the cyclone made landfall.

French President Emmanuel Macron said, he will declare a national mourning period.

Interior Minister Retailleau wrote in a statement on X “I offer my full support to the people of Mayotte. The state and local emergency services are fully mobilized. 110 civil security personnel and firefighters have already been sent and are on site. A second dispatch will be made tomorrow with 140 additional personnel.”

French Prime Minister François Bayrou said the cyclone was of “exceptional severity” and he was being updated on the situation “hour by hour”. He has held an emergency meeting in Paris with ministers.

France’s poorest department and the poorest territory in the European Union, Mayotte is a hotspot for economic migration due to its better standard of living and the French welfare system, drawing people from neighboring countries like Comoros and Somalia.

Located nearly 8,000km from Paris, a four-day journey by sea from France, Mayotte is significantly poorer than the rest of the country and has grappled with violence and social unrest for decades.