“The cyclone was of high intensity with a considerable impact”, confirms civil security

The Interior Ministry has sent around a hundred rescuers and firefighters to the site since Friday.

“The cyclone was of high intensity with a considerable impact on the island,” confirms, Saturday December 14, on franceinfo, Colonel Alexandre Jouassard, spokesperson for civil security, deputy head of Cogic, the operational center for interministerial crisis management.

While Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte, the Ministry of the Interior sent around a hundred rescuers and firefighters who have been on site since Friday: “In the next few minutes we will have inventory, reconnaissance which will be launched and which will allow us to have more elements”he clarified.

The cyclone's trajectory hit the north of the island with more intensity. The data that was recorded testifies “gusts of 260, 270, 280 km/h. These are very high gusts”, specifies Colonel Alexandre Jouassard.

According to him, “It's way too early“to give an assessment. There is no”no casualty recovered” for now. “In this type of intervention, we must give the rescue teams time to have all the elements”he emphasizes. “The absolute priority is obviously the preservation of human lives,” he said. The job of rescuers is to “recognize areas that have been most impacted to see if there could be the presence of victims, people to be evacuated”, he adds. The evacuation of possible victims will be “complex”, because the roads are blocked.