Devastation Strikes Mayotte as Cyclone Chido Leaves Trail of Destruction

Emergency services are rushing to aid survivors in Mayotte, where Tropical Cyclone Chido has caused extensive damage and an alarming rise in the estimated death toll could indicate hundreds more fatalities.

Emergency response teams are working tirelessly to rescue survivors amidst the ruins left by Tropical Cyclone Chido, which has extensively damaged the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. The recent disaster has already claimed at least 14 lives and injured over 250 individuals. Reports from local media depict Mayotte as “an unrecognizable island” as fears mount over a looming humanitarian catastrophe.

François-Xavier Bieuville, the highest-ranking French official on the archipelago, expressed grave concerns regarding the potential death toll, suggesting it could be in the hundreds. “I think that there will be several hundred deaths,” he stated during an interview. He went on to caution that the actual figures could reach “closer to a thousand, or even several thousand.”

As emergency services continue their search for those trapped under debris from collapsed homes, schools, and hospitals, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed that it would take several days to fully gauge the extent of the tragedy. President Emmanuel Macron has organized an emergency meeting for Monday evening to address the crisis.

Cyclone Chido has been classified as the most severe storm to strike Mayotte in nearly a century, with wind gusts reaching over 124 miles per hour. Additionally, the storm inflicted casualties in neighboring Mozambique, where initial reports indicate at least three deaths.