In Pics: Cyclone Leaves France's Mayotte Looking Like "War Landscape"

Rescue workers continued to search for survivors in Mayotte, France's poorest overseas territory, on Monday in the aftermath of the worst cyclone to hit the Indian Ocean islands in nearly a century. Cyclone Chido brought wind speeds of over 225 kilometres per hour, flattening areas where the poorest lived in sheet-metal roof shacks. Twenty people have been confirmed dead in the tragedy, but authorities said the toll could be thousands.

With several areas still inaccessible, French President Emmanuel Macron said he will be travelling to Mayotte "in the coming days", as he pledged to ensure support to citizens, administration and emergency services involved in rescue efforts.

"At the meeting of the crisis unit, I ensured that all emergency measures to help the people of Mayotte were taken and that the continuity of the state be guaranteed," Macron said in a post on X, adding that he would declare a day of national mourning in light of "this tragedy, which has shaken each and every one of us".

Ruins of homes lie in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido in Labattoir, Mayotte (Source: Reuters)

Widespread Devastrations

As rescuers raced to reach the survivors, images from Mayotte showed scenes of devastation, with homes reduced to piles of rubble. The cyclone caused major damage to Mayotte's airport and cut off electricity, water and communication links when it barrelled down on Saturday. 

After visiting the islands on Monday, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau declared the territory "completely devastated". "The slums, the shantytowns, there's nothing left of them," he said.

Debris is seen in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, in Mamoudzou, Mayotte (Source: Reuters)

Residents of the two islands close to the Comoros archipelago described the "apocalyptic scenes" caused by the storm as they queued outside grocery stores in search of water and other basics.

"It really is a war landscape. I don't recognise anything any more. There's not even a tree left, the hills, there's not a blade of grass, it's extraordinary," Mayotte resident Camille Cozon Abdourazak was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. 

"I found a shop open that had water. There were still a few tins of milk left, so I was able to buy a tin of milk for my baby and one for my friend's baby next door," she added.

A rescue worker attempts to clear a blocked road, in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, within Mamoudzou in Mayotte (Source: Reuters)

According to Hamada Ali, a teacher, streets were covered in mud and trees, with people sheltering in schools. "Houses with sheet metal roofs were swept away by the cyclone," he added.

Antoy Abdallah, a resident of Tsoundzou in the territory's capital Mamoudzou told the news agency AFP, "We're starting to run out of water. In the south, there's been no running water for five days."

"We're completely cut off from the world," the 34-year-old lamented. 

Half of the territory's running water would be restored within 48 hours, according to the interior ministry.

A rescue worker attempts to clear a blocked road, in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, within Mamoudzou in Mayotte (Source: Reuters)

Hundreds Feared Dead

It will take days before it becomes clear how many people died in the tragedy, according to Retailleau. So far, authorities have confirmed 20 deaths.

However, Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville, the top Paris-appointed official on the territory, said "I think there will definitely be several hundred, perhaps we will come close to a thousand or even several thousand."

With roads closed, officials fear that many could still be trapped under rubble in inaccessible areas. 

A person sits on the curb in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, in Mamoudzou, Mayotte (Source: Reuters)

Mayotte is made up of two main islands over an area about twice the size of Washington, DC. They first came under France's control in 1841. The islands officially have 320,000 inhabitants, "but it is estimated that there are 100,000 to 200,000 more people, taking into account illegal immigration," the source told news agency AFP.

Most of Mayotte's population is Muslim and religious tradition dictates bodies must be buried rapidly, meaning some may never be counted.

Debris is seen in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, in Mamoudzou, Mayotte (Source: Reuters)

Climate Change Link

Cyclone Chido is the latest in a string of storms worldwide fuelled by climate change, according to experts.

The "exceptional" cyclone was super-charged by particularly warm Indian Ocean waters, meteorologist Francois Gourand of the Meteo France weather service told AFP.

French military officers receive emergency supplies at the Dzaoudzi–Pamandzi International Airport, in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, in Pamandzi, Mayotte (Source: Reuters)

In Brazil, host of the next UN climate change conference, the foreign ministry said Monday that the cyclone highlighted the need for increased global efforts at adapting to the consequences of climate change.