“The island is devastated.” France faces a “huge” task in Mayotte after Hurricane Chido

Acting French Interior Minister Bruno Retallo announced in a tweet on the social networking site “X” today, Tuesday, that France faces a huge mission in rescue operations on its foreign territory, in the province of Mayotte, in the wake of Hurricane Chido, which struck a small group of islands in the Indian Ocean.
Retallo said: “A grave matter awaits France in Mayotte. The island is devastated.”
He added: “State agencies were mobilized from the beginning to help the victims and prevent further crises that would exacerbate the disaster.”

Night curfew

The authorities in the group of islands located between Madagascar and Mozambique impose a night curfew, and in a preliminary report yesterday evening, Monday, the authorities said that there were 21 dead and more than 1,400 wounded, and that the death toll is expected to rise.
Hurricane Shido hit the islands last Saturday, with winds reaching speeds of about 220 kilometers per hour, destroying the simple tin homes in which many of the 310,000 residents live.

So far, the authorities in Mozambique have indicated the death of 27 people after winds reaching speeds of 240 kilometers per hour struck the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula in the north of the country.