Hundreds, if not thousands, possibly killed by Cyclone Chido in French territory of Mayotte, official says
A local French official says hundreds, maybe thousands, were killed when Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte over the weekend.
Cyclone Chido leaves multiple dead, destroys French archipelago of Mayotte
At least 11 people are dead on Mayotte after Cyclone Chido tore through the Island nation on Saturday. The storm burst through the island with winds of 140 mph.
The most catastrophic cyclone to hit the French archipelago of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean in 90 years has possibly left hundreds dead.
According to Reuters, prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville, a senior local French official, said on Sunday, "I think there will certainly be several hundreds, maybe we will reach a thousand, even several thousands."
France's Interior Ministry is reporting at least 11 people killed by the storm, Reuters reported.
Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte on Saturday, Meteo-France said. Mayotte's state service confirmed this was the most dangerous cyclone to hit the island since 1934. The country was put under a cyclonic red alert, signaling imminent danger.
A purple alert was also activated during the height of the storm, placing the entire population on lockdown, including all emergency services, the agency said.
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The French General Directorate of Civil Security and Crisis Management said in a post on X that 110 firefighters and rescuers were mobilized to help with clearing operations and rescues, as well as logistical and medical support.
The management agency said reinforcements will continue to arrive in the coming days to provide relief and assistance to those affected by the disaster. And up to 800 Civil Security personnel are expected to be deployed to Mayotte to help.
Photos from Mayotte show emergency and medical personnel arriving on the island to assist in recovery.
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![A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows a pile of debris of metal sheets and wood after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte.]()
Image 1 of 9A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows a pile of debris of metal sheets and wood after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte. At least 14 people were killed in Mayotte when a fierce cyclone battered the French Indian Ocean territory, authorities said on December 15, 2024, with officials warning it will take days to know the full toll. (KWEZI/AFP )
![A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows residents sitting by a road among piles of debris of metal sheets and wood after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte.]()
Image 2 of 9A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows residents sitting by a road among piles of debris of metal sheets and wood after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte. (KWEZI/AFP)
![A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows a pile of debris of metal sheets, wood, furniture and belongings after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte.]()
Image 3 of 9A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows a pile of debris of metal sheets, wood, furniture and belongings after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte. (KWEZI/AFP)
![The French A440M military aircraft transporting members of the Members of the French Civil protection and French firefighters and medical and emergency equipment, lands on the tarmac as part of an emergency response to bring aid to the small French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, almost cut off from the world after the passage of cyclone Chido, at the French Air Force Base 181 Saint-Denis-La Reunion "Lieutenant Roland Garros" in Sainte-Marie, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, on December 15, 2024.]()
Image 4 of 9The French A440M military aircraft transporting members of the Members of the French Civil protection and French firefighters and medical and emergency equipment, lands on the tarmac as part of an emergency response to bring aid to the small French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, almost cut off from the world after the passage of cyclone Chido, at the French Air Force Base 181 Saint-Denis-La Reunion "Lieutenant Roland Garros" in Sainte-Marie, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, on December 15, 2024. (Richard BOUHET / AFP))
![French military unload medical and emergency equipment from the A440M military aircraft, aboard of wich rescue teams were transported in an emergency response, bringing aid to the small French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, almost cut off from the world after the passage of cyclone Chido, at the French Air Force Base 181 Saint-Denis-La Reunion "Lieutenant Roland Garros" in Sainte-Marie, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, on December 15, 2024. At least 14 people were killed in Mayotte when a fierce cyclone battered the territory, authorities said, with officials warning it will take days to know the full toll. Rescue workers and supplies are being rushed in by air and sea, but their efforts are likely to be hindered by damage to airports and electricity distribution in a territory where even clean drinking water was already subject to chronic shortages.]()
Image 5 of 9French military unload medical and emergency equipment from the A440M military aircraft, aboard of wich rescue teams were transported in an emergency response, bringing aid to the small French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, almost cut off from the world after the passage of cyclone Chido, at the French Air Force Base 181 Saint-Denis-La Reunion "Lieutenant Roland Garros" in Sainte-Marie, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, on December 15, 2024. At least 14 people were killed in Mayotte when a fierce cyclone battered the territory, authorities said, with officials warning it will take days to know the full toll. Rescue workers and supplies are being rushed in by air and sea, but their efforts are likely to be hindered by damage to airports and electricity distribution in a territory where even clean drinking water was already subject to chronic shortages. (RICHARD BOUHET/AFP)
![Members of the French Civil protection and French firefighters walk on the tarmac following their landing aboard the A440M military aircraft, as part of an emergency response to bring aid to the small French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, almost cut off from the world after the passage of cyclone Chido, at the French Air Force Base 181 Saint-Denis-La Reunion "Lieutenant Roland Garros" in Sainte-Marie, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, on December 15, 2024.]()
Image 6 of 9Members of the French Civil protection and French firefighters walk on the tarmac following their landing aboard the A440M military aircraft, as part of an emergency response to bring aid to the small French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, almost cut off from the world after the passage of cyclone Chido, at the French Air Force Base 181 Saint-Denis-La Reunion "Lieutenant Roland Garros" in Sainte-Marie, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, on December 15, 2024. (Richard BOUHET / AFP))
![A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows a pile of debris of metal sheets, wood, furniture and belongings after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte.]()
Image 7 of 9A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows a pile of debris of metal sheets, wood, furniture and belongings after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte. At least 14 people were killed in Mayotte when a fierce cyclone battered the French Indian Ocean territory, authorities said on December 15, 2024, with officials warning it will take days to know the full toll. (KWEZI/AFP)
![A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows torn-off roofs of residential buildings after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte.]()
Image 8 of 9A photo taken on December 15, 2024 shows torn-off roofs of residential buildings after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte. (KWEZI/AFP)
![This photograph shows destroyed building after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 14, 2024 in the capital Mamoudzou.]()
Image 9 of 9This photograph shows destroyed building after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 14, 2024 in the capital Mamoudzou. At least 14 people were killed in Mayotte when a fierce cyclone battered the French Indian Ocean territory, authorities said on December 15, 2024, with officials warning it will take days to know the full toll. (DANIEL MOUHAMADI/AFP)
More photos show the complete destruction of homes and businesses, with debris from buildings scattered all around the island.
Large sheets of deformed metal from the roofs litter the ground.
Meteo-France told Reuters that Cyclone Chido damaged makeshift housing, government buildings and a hospital.
The storm hit the French archipelago with winds gusting at approximately 140 mph, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, used by the National Hurricane Center.