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Authorities on France’s Mayotte island in the Indian Ocean say the death toll from powerful Cyclone Chido, which hit the island over the weekend, is so high that hundreds of people have died, as aid groups rush to help after the worst of the cyclone. The number is likely to be in the thousands, he said. It will be the first time in more than 90 years that it has landed in this area.
A pile of metal plates and wood debris after Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte.
AFP (via Getty Images)
important facts
Mayotte-la-Plouère television station reported late Monday morning that the death toll was 20, but Mayotte official François-Xavier Vieuxville said earlier that the real number was “probably in the hundreds, maybe a thousand.” He said he expected the number to be quite large, “and even several thousand people.”
Beauville said it may be impossible to accurately estimate the death toll because the majority of the island’s residents are Muslim, and religious custom requires those who die to be buried within 24 hours. warned.
Mayotte’s main airport has suspended commercial flights due to severe damage, allowing only military aircraft to fly, and the island’s main hospital has large surgical, intensive care, emergency, and obstetric departments. It is suffering from severe flood damage.
There is a power outage across the island, except for the capital Mahmoud, with most communication antennas down and authorities concerned about access to clean drinking water, the Associated Press reported.
The French Red Cross described the devastation as “unimaginable” and sent drinking water, hygiene kits and buckets to boil water as relief efforts began.
Cyclone Chido made landfall with wind speeds of 160 mph, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane, and a storm surge between 13 and 28 feet high.
Rescuers, including paramedics arriving from France and the neighboring French territory of Réunion, were racing against time to find survivors, France 24 reported on Monday.
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Where is the French island of Mayotte?
Mayotte is located in the Indian Ocean along the southeast coast of Africa and is home to more than 321,000 residents. The region is one of the poorest in France, and Vieuxville noted that many of its residents live in “slums” that were destroyed by the cyclone.
tangent
Although about 8,000 miles from Paris, the island is an important migration destination in France, with many asylum seekers arriving in droves from the nearby African country of the Comoros in search of French safety. is at the center of controversy. citizenship. Earlier this year, the move sparked a legislative push to abolish automatic birthright citizenship for people born on the island.
This photo provided by the National Military Police shows a Military Police vehicle. … (+)
Associated Press
French meteorological authorities said Chido was the worst cyclone to hit the region in more than 90 years.
Associated Press
Officials warned that the death toll from the cyclone could be in the thousands.
Associated Press
This photo shows a destroyed elementary school classroom in Mamouz, the capital of Mayotte.
AFP (via Getty Images)
The cyclone made landfall on Saturday with wind speeds of 140 miles per hour.
AFP (via Getty Images)
Emergency workers and soldiers arrived from France and neighboring French territory Réunion. … (+)
Associated Press
