Mayotte: Several hundred people feared dead after Cyclone Chido

Francois-Xavier Bieuville, the island’s prefect, told local media that the death toll could rise significantly once the damage is fully assessed. He warned that “it will definitely be several hundred” and could reach thousands.

The French Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, who plans to visit the island, recognized the “exceptional severity” of the cyclone and assured that efforts are being intensified to help the population.

Cyclone Chido also brought strong winds and heavy rain to Mozambique, making landfall early Sunday about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) south of the northern city of Pemba, according to weather services.

The cyclone caused structural damage and power outages in the northern coastal provinces of Nampula and Cabo Delgado on Saturday morning, authorities said.

Guy Taylor, spokesman for the Unicef ​​aid agency in Mozambique, said: “We were hit hard in the early hours of this morning.”

“Many houses were destroyed or severely damaged, and health centers and schools are out of service,” he added.

Taylor said Unicef ​​is concerned about the “loss of access to critical services,” including medical treatment, clean water and sanitation, and also “the spread of diseases such as cholera and malaria.”