French authorities have announced a nighttime curfew in Mayotte from Tuesday evening, after the catastrophic cyclone Chido swept over the island during the weekend, reports AFP. The curfew applies from 22:00 to 04:00 local time and is intended as a security measure to prevent looting, according to the French Interior Ministry.
On Monday evening, hospitals reported over 20 confirmed deaths and dozens seriously injured, figures that may multiply in the near future. The authorities fear that hundreds or even thousands of people will be found dead when rescue teams go through the rubble after the disaster.
The Red Cross fears that more than 200 volunteers are missing after the storm winds, they report on X.
55 meters per second
France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who visited the disaster areas in Mayotte on Monday, has personally witnessed the destruction.
"The island is devastated", he writes on X.
Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte with a force not seen in over 90 years, according to French Météo-France.
In less than five hours, winds of over 27 meters per second were measured, in about three hours winds of over 41 meters per second were measured, and for about three quarters of an hour, it blew at over 55 meters per second, writes the weather service on X.
"Extremely thirsty"
A hotel owner in Mayotte testifies to harsh conditions in BFMTV.
I have no electricity, I have no water, I am extremely thirsty. I have no water bottles at all.
It's about being able to eat and drink. I haven't had a bottle of water in a whole day, he says from Mayotte's capital Mamoudzou.
Macron has promised to visit Mayotte sometime in the coming days.
In Mozambique, at least 34 people have died after cyclone Chido swept over the country, reports the disaster authority. 28 people have been reported dead in Cabo Delgado province, three in Namupla province, and three in Niassa.
