At least 11 dead as Cyclone Chido batters French territory of Mayotte

At least 11 people have died and more than 250 have been injured after Cyclone Chido struck the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, French public broadcaster France Info reported on Sunday.

BFMTV, citing security sources, reported that the death toll from the storm, which hit the island on Saturday, could be as high as 14.

Acting Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Saturday evening that there had been a number of deaths but was unable to say how many. The situation on the island, which lies between Madagascar and the northern Mozambican coast, was catastrophic, he said.

All the poorly built houses on the island had been destroyed, he said. The island has a population of around 310,000.

Ambdilwahedou Soumaila, mayor of the island’s capital, Mamoudzou, told BFMTV that many people had been injured and that the damage was severe. Roads were blocked, some areas were cut off and many residents were without power, he said.

There was also damage to the island’s airport, according to the report.

France’s Météo France weather service said winds of more than 220 kilometres per hour had struck the island.

The authorities on the island had urged residents to seek shelter in robust buildings and to stay indoors before the cyclone struck.

In Mozambique, where the storm reached speeds of up to 240 kilometres per hour, Chido destroyed and damaged numerous homes, schools and health facilities in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, Unicef.

According to the Mozambican Centre for Disaster Management, the power grid has collapsed in Cabo Delgado and the neighbouring province of Nampula, making rescue work more difficult.

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