French President Emmanuel Macron visited cyclone devastated Mayotte Thursday. At least 31 people are confirmed dead so far, but officials there believe the death toll will reach hundreds or even thousands. Soldiers remove fallen trees in the French overseas territory of Mayotte after cyclone Chido hit Saturday. Photo by Etat-Major Des Armee/EPA-EFE
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Mayotte on Thursday to survey the damage caused by Cyclone Chido.
At least 31 people have been confirmed dead so far, but officials there believe the death toll will reach hundreds or even thousands. Advertisement
The Indian Ocean archipelago just west of Madagascar off the east African coast is a French territory.
Macron thanked airport officials who have worked to bring in a flow of aid from the French territory La Reunion. He toured the damage by helicopter.
Cyclone Chido is the worst to hit Mayotte in 90 years, causing major infrastructure damage to electric grids and widespread damage to hospitals and neighborhoods.
The territory declared a state of exceptional natural disaster, which can be used to clear administrative hurdles for aid delivery from other French overseas territories.
“Faced with this exceptional situation, exceptional resources must be deployed to quickly restore vital services and implement a sustainable reconstruction plan for Mayotte,” said François-Noël Buffet, the minister for overseas territories, in a statement.
With half of Mayotte without electrical power, local authorities are prioritizing repair for damaged water plants amid a drinking water shortage. Advertisement
The cyclone had 140 mph winds when it hit Saturday.
According to Mayotte officials about 100,000 undocumented immigrants are living there among 320,000 inhabitants, making accurate counts and identification of victims difficult.
The situation was described by Hotel Caribou owner Bruno Garcia as “catastrophic, apocalyptic.”
His hotel is in Mayotte’s capital city of Mamoudzou. He added it was as if an atomic bomb fell on Mayotte.
Health workers fear the spread of infectious diseases as impacted residents deal with water and power shortages and supplies are rationed.
