Three days after powerful Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte, an Indian Ocean curfew was imposed on the small but densely populated French island. France continues to use military aircraft to send rescue teams and supplies to the territory.
A nighttime curfew will come into force on Tuesday night to try to stabilize Mayotte following the passage of Cyclone Chido, the most intense storm to hit the french archipelago of the Indian Ocean in 90 years.
The official death toll from Saturday’s cyclone rose to 22, with more than 1,400 injured, including 48 in critical condition, according to the latest report from Mayotte Hospital cited by Ambdilwahedou Soumaila, mayor of the capital, Mamoudzou. However, Authorities fear hundreds or possibly thousands of people have died.
The curfew forces people to stay in their homes between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. each night, while authorities try to prevent looting of damaged buildings. Soumaila said he planned to visit the areas most affected by the cyclone on Tuesday, where survivors are still recovering from the destruction. Almost 70% of Mayotte’s population has been severely affected, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.
Relief efforts continue, with French military planes delivering water and food daily. However, power outages and communications disruptions persist, leaving many without basic needs. The island’s main hospital remains severely damaged, and a field hospital is expected to arrive on Thursday.
An air base on nearby Reunion Island is being used as a staging post for emergency relief supplies. Workers said Tuesday that sending food and water was a priority, after medical equipment was sent days earlier. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, promised to visit Mayotte soon and declare a period of national mourning.
Cyclone Chido is the deadliest storm to hit the territory in almost a century, underscoring the vulnerability of the island’s impoverished population. It made landfall on the densely populated island of about 300,000 people on Saturday, with winds that exceeded 220 km/h, according to the French meteorological service, destroying buildings.
Additional sources • Lucía Blasco (voice-over)