French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau stated that it will take “days and days” to determine the death toll from Hurricane Chido on the French island of Mayotte. The overseas department in the Indian Ocean was struck by the natural disaster last weekend.
Currently, 14 fatalities have been reported, but Mayotte’s prefect fears there may be hundreds, potentially exceeding a thousand. President Macron convened a crisis meeting at the Ministry of the Interior and announced on X plans to visit Mayotte in the coming days, alongside declaring a national mourning period.
Minister Retailleau described the island, home to about 310,000 residents, as “completely destroyed.” According to the Minister of Overseas Territories, no place was spared, and recovery will be lengthy. Belgian doctor Caroline Fivet, working at a clinic on Petite-Terre, reported extensive damage with many injuries, fractures, and individuals in shock.
Although the main hospital on Grande-Terre remains standing, the French Health Minister noted significant water damage to critical departments. Fivet’s clinic has set up a provisional operating room but faces challenges with electricity and water supply, raising concerns about potential disease outbreaks, such as cholera, due to poor sanitation conditions.
Source: NOS