Chido blew winds of more than 220 km/h when it made landfall on Saturday, according to French meteorological services, tearing roofs off houses in the archipelago, which has a population of just over 300,000.
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Clean-up operations began in the French overseas territory of Mayotte, a day after Cyclone Chido struck the Indian Ocean archipelago.
Images released by French Civil Protection show emergency services and armed forces clearing debris and trees scattered in the streets.
The final result could reach “a few thousand dead” according to the island’s prefect, François-Xavier Bieuville. He explained on the public channel Mayotte la 1ère that the final assessment will be “very difficult” to be established because the Muslim tradition, the majority religion in Mayotte, requires that the deceased be buried “within 24 hours”.
The provisional assessment which is based on hospital data is therefore not significant. It recorded at least 14 deaths and nearly 250 injured on Sunday evening.
Cyclone Chido blew across the southeastern Indian Ocean, also affecting the neighboring islands of Comoros and Madagascar.
Mayotte was directly in the path of the cyclone and suffered significant damage on Saturday, according to authorities.
Chido blew winds of more than 220 km/h, according to French meteorological services, tearing roofs off houses in the archipelago, which has just over 300,000 inhabitants.
In some areas, entire neighborhoods of metal shacks and huts were razed, while residents reported many trees uprooted, boats overturned or sunk, and electricity supplies disrupted. Water and food are also lacking.
Authorities in Mayotte said it was the worst cyclone to hit the territory in nearly a century.
The French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmes had been deployed to “help the population and prevent possible looting”.
More than 100 rescuers and firefighters were deployed to Mayotte from France and the neighboring territory of Reunion, and an additional reinforcement of 140 people was sent on Sunday.
France also sent aid to the island aboard military planes.
Mayotte is the poorest department in France and has already faced drought and a lack of infrastructure.
It has also been plagued by gang violence and tensions peaked earlier this year due to widespread water shortages.
The cyclone has now made landfall on the east coast of Africa, hitting northern Mozambique.
ADVERTISEMENTUNICEF said the province of Cabo Delgado, where around two million people live, had been hit hard.
“UNICEF is concerned about the immediate consequences of this cyclone: the loss of human lives, the damage caused to schools, homes and health establishments”said Guy Taylor, UNICEF Mozambique Advocacy and Communications Manager.
The agency is now concerned about access to health care and the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera and malaria. “We are also concerned about the longer-term consequences: children who risk being deprived of education for weeks, people who cannot access health care and the potential spread of water-borne diseases like cholera and malaria he declared
