Cyclone Chido hits French islands

The French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte has been hit by the worst cyclone to hit the islands in nearly 100 years.

At least 11 people were reportedly killed when Cyclone Chidoo made landfall on Saturday, bringing wind gusts of more than 225 km/h (140 mph), with fears the death toll could rise further. are.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France was “there” for the people of Mayotte, and French officials said 250 firefighters and security personnel had been sent to the island, with some already arriving. He said that

French Interior Minister Bruno Letailault said “all temporary housing has been completely destroyed” and feared the death toll would be “huge”.

One local news source reported that 11 people were killed and 246 injured, based on hospital reports.

The death toll was even higher, at least 14, AFP news agency reported, citing security sources.

Mayotte, located northwest of Madagascar, is an archipelago consisting of one main island, Grand Terre, and several smaller islands.

Most of the island’s roughly 300,000 residents live in shacks with sheet metal roofs, leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Electricity, water and internet connections are all down. The Paris government sent a military transport plane carrying supplies and emergency personnel.

France’s acting transport minister, François Durovray, wrote in X that the territory’s Pamanji airport “suffered significant damage, especially to its control tower.”

The air traffic official added: “Military support aircraft will first restore the situation. Ships are on their way to secure supplies.”

Even before the cyclone hit in earnest on Saturday morning, there were reports of trees uprooted, roofs ripped off buildings and power lines down.

“Even emergency responders are on lockdown,” Abdul Karim Ahmed Alaoui, head of the Mayotte City Fire Union, told BFM News Channel on Saturday morning.

He added: “There is no cell phone service and we cannot contact the people on the island. Even buildings built to earthquake-proof standards cannot withstand earthquakes.

“The emergency services command center has been evacuated and is operating at partial capacity.”

Interior Minister Lutailot wrote in a statement on X: “I offer my full support to the people of Mayotte. State and local emergency services are fully mobilized. 110 security personnel Crews and firefighters have already been dispatched and are on scene. A second dispatch will be made tomorrow with an additional 140 personnel. ”

French Prime Minister François Bayrou, who took office on Friday, said the cyclone was of “extraordinary severity” and that he was receiving “hourly” updates on the situation. He held an emergency meeting with ministers in Paris.

The city of Mayotte was initially placed under the highest level of purple alert, imposing a “strict lockdown of the entire population, including emergency services”. It was then lowered to red to allow emergency services to leave the base.

Letailot said this was the last time the island had experienced such severe weather since 1934.

The storm intensified overnight as it passed through the Mozambique Channel after hitting Mayotte Island.

The coastal city of Pemba has been hit by heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 185 km/h (115 mph).

Videos on social media showed parts of the city of Pemba flooded, trees uprooted and some houses damaged.

The cyclone is now moving inland, with heavy rain reported in neighboring Nampula province.

Winds are expected to ease, but heavy rain and flooding is expected in southern Malawi and later Zimbabwe.

Additional reporting by Richard Kagoe