Cyclone Chido leaves heavy casualties & severe damage in Mayotte, hits Comoros & Mozambique

Cyclone Chido which hit Mayotte, leaving a heavy death toll that could reach several hundred and might even approach a thousand or more, has reached the Comoros and Mozambique.

Mayotte’s authorities consider Chido the most devastating cyclone to strike the French territory in nearly a century. The storm flattened entire neighborhoods, destroyed infrastructure, and left vast parts of the island without electricity and safe drinking water. Emergency teams face immense difficulty assessing the precise number of casualties and injured individuals because roads remain blocked and communication lines lie in ruins.

Communities that depend on informal metal shacks have suffered the most. Officials find it extremely challenging to tally the losses in these areas since some settlements no longer exist. Rescue workers, firefighters, and medical personnel have arrived from other regions and territories. They focus on restoring electricity, ensuring access to clean water, and providing urgent medical care. Security forces have deployed throughout the island to maintain order and prevent looting, while emergency crews distribute essential supplies.

Chido also impacted other islands before moving toward the African mainland. Officials in Mozambique fear that millions of people now face the threat of flooding, landslides, and dangerous waterborne diseases. They warn that collapsing infrastructure and limited resources will make recovery efforts even more difficult.

Before reaching Mozambique, Cyclone Chido battered the Comoros archipelago. While the full extent of the damage in Comoros has not yet been reported, early assessments suggest it was less severe compared to Mayotte.

Observers link the increasing frequency and intensity of such storms to climate change. Communities that contribute little to global emissions must bear devastating consequences.