Three days after powerful Indian Ocean cyclone Chido hit Mayotte, a curfew has been imposed in the small but densely populated French island. France continues to use military aircraft to rush rescuers and supplies into the territory.
An overnight curfew goes into force Tuesday evening as authorities try to stabilise Mayotte in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, the most intense storm to hit the French Indian Ocean archipelago in 90 years.
The official death toll from Saturday’s cyclone rose to 22, with more than 1,400 injured including 48 people critically, according to the latest report from Mayotte Hospital quoted by Ambdilwahedou Soumaila, the mayor of the capital, Mamoudzou. However, authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died.
The curfew requires people to stay in their homes between 10pm and 4am each night as authorities try to prevent looting of damaged buildings.
Soumaila said he planned to visit areas hit hardest by the cyclone on Tuesday, where survivors are still reeling from the destruction. Nearly 70% of Mayotte’s population has been gravely affected, with entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble.
Aid efforts continue, with French military aircraft delivering water and food daily. However, power outages and communication disruptions persist, leaving many without basic necessities. The island’s main hospital remains severely damaged, with a field hospital expected to arrive Thursday.
An airbase on nearby Réunion Island is being used as a staging post for emergency relief supplies. Workers on Tuesday said sending food and water was a priority, after medical equipment was sent in earlier days.
French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to visit Mayotte soon and to declare a national mourning period.
Cyclone Chido is the deadliest storm to strike the territory in nearly a century, underscoring the vulnerability of the island’s impoverished population.
It made landfall with the densely populated island of about 300,000 people on Saturday, bringing wind speeds exceeding 220kph, according to the French weather service, ripping buildings apart.
Additional sources • AP
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