France’s Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte has been struck by the worst cyclone to hit the islands in nearly a century.
Even before the cyclone hit with full force on Saturday morning, there were reports of trees being uprooted, roofs being ripped off buildings and power lines being downed.
“The emergency services command centre has been evacuated and is functioning at partial capacity.”
Interior Minister Retailleau wrote in a statement on X: “I offer my full support to the people of Mayotte.
It has since been lowered to red to allow emergency services to leave their bases.
Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, has been hit by the strongest cyclone to hit the islands in almost a century.
When Cyclone Chido made landfall on Saturday, it caused wind gusts of over 225 km/h (140 mph), killing at least two people, and it is thought that more people may have perished.
French officials announced that 250 firefighters and security personnel would be sent to the islands, some of whom have already arrived, while French President Emmanuel Macron declared that France would “be there” for the people of Mayotte.
According to Bruno Retailleau, the interior minister of France, “all makeshift homes have been completely destroyed” and he warned of a “heavy” death toll.
Mayotte is an archipelago of several smaller islands and one main island, Grand-Terre, located northwest of Madagascar.
There were reports of trees being uprooted, roofs being torn off buildings, and power lines being downed even before the cyclone struck with full force on Saturday morning.
“Even emergency responders are locked down,” Abdoul Karim Ahmed Allaoui, the head of the Mayotte firefighters’ union, stated on Saturday morning on the BFM news channel.
He went on, “We are unable to contact anyone on the island because there is no mobile phone service.
“Earthquake-resistant buildings haven’t held up either.
“The emergency services command center is operating at a reduced capacity after being evacuated. “.”.
Acting French Transport Minister Francois Durovray posted on X that the island’s Pamandzi airport “suffered major damage, especially to the control tower.”.
Initially, military aid planes will be used to restore air traffic. In order to guarantee resupply, ships are en route,” he said.
“I offer my full support to the people of Mayotte,” said Interior Minister Retailleau in a statement posted on X. Both local and state emergency services are fully operational. 110 firefighters and civil security officers have already been dispatched and are present. 140 more employees will be sent out on a second dispatch tomorrow. “..”.
François Bayrou, the French prime minister who assumed office on Friday, stated that the cyclone was of “exceptional severity” and that he was receiving “hour by hour” updates on the situation.
At first, Mayotte was under a “strict lockdown for the whole population, including emergency services” and a purple alert, which is the highest level. In order to allow emergency services to evacuate their bases, it has since been lowered to red.
The island hasn’t seen such bad weather since 1934, according to Retailleau.
Mozambique on the African mainland is also predicted to be affected by Cyclone Chido.
