Authorities impose overnight curfew in cyclone-ravaged Mayotte as France rushes in aid
SAINT-DENIS, Reunion (AP) — An overnight curfew goes into force Tuesday evening as authorities try to stabilize Mayotte in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, the most intense storm to hit the French Indian Ocean archipelago in 90 years.
The official death toll from Saturday’s cyclone rose to 22, with more than 1,400 injured including 48 people critically, according to the latest report from Mayotte Hospital quoted by Ambdilwahedou Soumaila, the mayor of the capital, Mamoudzou. However, authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died.
The curfew requires people to stay in their homes between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. each night as authorities try to prevent looting of damaged buildings.
Speaking on France Inter radio Tuesday morning, Mayotte lawmaker Estelle Youssouffa described the challenges in accounting for victims, especially among undocumented migrants.
“The real toll of those swept away by the mud, winds and tin from shanty towns will never be known,” Youssouffa said. “This population, by definition undocumented migrants, are the main victims of this tragedy because they feared going to shelters.”
Youssouffa shared a harrowing account from an imam she spoke to on Monday, who reported burying more than 30 people in a single day in La Vigie, a makeshift settlement.
“I don’t even know if these figures are included in the official count,” Youssouffa said.
Soumaila, Mamoudzou’s mayor, said he planned to visit areas hit hardest by the cyclone on Tuesday, where survivors are still reeling from the destruction. Nearly 70% of Mayotte’s population has been gravely affected, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.
Aid efforts continue, with French military aircraft delivering water and food daily. However, power outages and communication disruptions persist, leaving many without basic necessities. The island’s main hospital remains severely damaged, and a field hospital is expected to arrive Thursday.
French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to visit Mayotte soon and to declare a national mourning period.
Cyclone Chido is the deadliest storm to strike the territory in nearly a century, underscoring the vulnerability of the island’s impoverished population.
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Nouvian reported from Paris.
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