According to a new provisional report announced this Wednesday, December 18 by the French Ministry of the Interior, the passage of Cyclone Chido in Mayotte killed at least 31 people and injured 1,373 others. But authorities expect the real figure to be much higher.
4 mins
Mayotte suffered “ probably the most serious natural disaster in French history for several centuries », Estimated French Prime Minister François Bayrou this Wednesday. According to a final provisional report, the passage of Cyclone Chido over this small archipelago in the Indian Ocean now amounts to 31 deaths, of which 22 died in hospital and the other nine were recorded by the municipalities. Forty-five injured people were also treated in absolute emergency and 1,373 in relative emergency. But the particularities of the poorest department in France make it difficult, if not impossible, to establish a reliable human assessment.
Starting with the precariousness of the buildings. Almost 40% of the population of Mayotte lived in fragile housingoften constructed of sheet metal or lightweight materials. These homes were blown away, swept away by gusts reaching up to 230 km/h. Four days after the cyclone, there is nothing left of these homes, largely occupied by immigrants from neighboring Comoros. Many people could be trapped under the debris.
Blocked access
The assessment of human losses is also complicated by the difficulty for rescue teams to access certain areas, the archipelago having been completely devastated. Bridges, roads… all infrastructure was seriously damaged. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the roads have been “ very hampered by falling trees and various debris ”, but they are “ being cleared “.
Furthermore, the Muslim community of Mayotte follows traditions that require the deceased to be buried within 24 hours of death. This can make counting casualties even more difficult, as bodies could be buried before they are counted by authorities. The residents did not wait for help to begin searching the rubble and bury their deceased, as Saïd Houcène, a resident of Mamoudzou, testified to RFI.
In a neighborhood of Mamoudzou, I heard a gentleman who said that he had buried a 15-year-old girl who was in the slums. Twice, I heard two people who said the same thing, that they had buried people who were in the slums.
Said Houcène, a resident of Mamoudzou, says that residents bury the dead
In the now bare slums, “ it’s buried with all its might, so we’ll never have a count », Estimates to AFP a member of the judicial staff of the Mamoudzou court who requested anonymity. “ Whether they are people in a regular or irregular situation, it doesn’t matter, we will never know “.
Also readCyclone Chido: in Mayotte, lack of water raises fears of a return of cholera
At least 100,000 undocumented immigrants
Another difficulty, according to certain sources, the archipelago had at least 100,000 illegal immigrants. Perhaps for fear of being checked, they did not reach the accommodation centers before the cyclone left. Their number being uncertain, it is therefore impossible to know the number of illegal immigrants who died if they have already been buried.
The number of deaths recorded at this stage “ is not in line with the reality of the 100,000 people who live in precarious housing », notes the Ministry of the Interior. The prefect of Mayotte François-Xavier Bieuville had already warned that the number of deaths would reach “ certainly several hundred, perhaps we will approach a thousand, or even a few thousand “.
The experience of medical staff at Mamoudzou hospital seems to confirm the authorities’ worst hypotheses. While in a disaster of this magnitude, hospital services would usually ” to be overwhelmed “, this is not the case for the establishment: there is certainly a ” large influx of patients “, but far from reaching the maximum capacity of the hospital, which raises fears that, ” after three days, if there is no emergency happening, people are dead », Regrets Naouelle, caregiver at Mamoudzou hospital.
There is a significant influx of patients, but we are not overwhelmed. Which unfortunately leaves us thinking a little bit of the worst given the scale of the cyclone and given the precariousness on the island. The people, I think, are mostly under the rubble and there is no research that has yet been done to get people out of the rubble.
Naouelle, caregiver at Mamoudzou hospital
The prefect of Mayotte therefore asked “ setting up a search mission for the dead » emphasizing that “ 70% of residents were seriously affected “. While the victims are neither recorded nor buried, the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau reiterated on Wednesday its intention to legislate against illegal immigration “ totally uncontrolled » on the archipelago. He insisted his desire to be “ much harder with Comoros “.
Also readCyclone Chido: first night under curfew in Mayotte, Emmanuel Macron expected there on Thursday