By Michel Rose
PARIS (Reuters) -A number of hundred individuals, possibly even hundreds, might have been killed by Cyclone Chido within the French archipelago of Mayotte within the Indian Ocean, a senior native French official mentioned on Sunday.
“I believe there will definitely be a number of a whole lot, possibly we are going to attain a thousand, even a number of hundreds,” prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville mentioned on native media channel Mayotte La 1ere.
Requested concerning the dying toll of a number of hundred, the French inside ministry mentioned “it will likely be tough to account for all victims” and mentioned a determine couldn’t be decided at this stage.
Cyclone Chido swept by means of Mayotte in a single day, Meteo-France mentioned, bringing winds of greater than 200 kph (124 mph) and damaging makeshift housing, authorities buildings and a hospital. It was the strongest storm in additional than 90 years to hit the islands, the forecaster mentioned.
“My ideas are with our compatriots in Mayotte, who’ve gone by means of probably the most horrific few hours, and who’ve, for some, misplaced every little thing, misplaced their lives,” French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned.
Aerial footage shared by the French gendarmerie confirmed the wreckage of a whole lot of makeshift homes strewn throughout the hills of certainly one of Mayotte’s islands, which have been a focus for unlawful immigration from close by Comoros.
In the previous few a long time hundreds of individuals have tried to make the crossing from Comoros, off the coast of East Africa, to Mayotte, which has a better lifestyle and entry to the French welfare system.
Over 100,000 undocumented migrants stay in Mayotte, in keeping with the French inside ministry.
It was tough to establish the exact dying toll after the cyclone, which additionally raised issues about entry to meals, water and sanitation, authorities mentioned.
“For the toll, it will be difficult, as a result of Mayotte is a Muslim land the place the useless are buried inside 24 hours,” a French inside ministry official mentioned earlier.
Positioned almost 8,000 km (5,000 miles) from Paris and a four-day journey by sea, Mayotte is considerably poorer than the remainder of France and has grappled with gang violence and social unrest for many years.
Some 77% of the individuals in Mayotte stay under the French poverty line.
Tensions had been stoked earlier this 12 months by a water scarcity.
The cyclone went on to hit northern Mozambique on Sunday, however the full extent of the impression was not clear. Web monitor NetBlocks mentioned on X (previously Twitter) that heavy rain and winds had broken energy and telecommunications infrastructure.
France colonised Mayotte in 1843 and annexed the entire archipelago, together with Comoros, in 1904.
In a 1974 referendum, 95% backed separation however 63% on Mayotte voted to remain French. Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli declared independence in 1975. Mayotte continues to be dominated from Paris.
