IN PICTURES. Cyclone Chido in Mayotte: discover the before/after photos that highlight the scale of the disaster on the archipelago

L'archipel est méconnaissable. MAXPPP/GOOGLE MAPS

Après le cyclone dévastateur du week-end du 15 décembre 2024, Mayotte est dévastée. L’archipel a été frappé de plein fouet par Chido, et les dégâts sont considérables. Le sinistre pourrait avoir fait entre quelques dizaines et plusieurs milliers de morts.

Four days after Chido passed through Mayotte, the dust has settled and revealed the extent of the disaster. Ravaged neighborhoods, thousands of people on the streets, perhaps hundreds of deaths, and a lingering uncertainty about the future of the archipelago. Mayotte has been ravaged, as these few images attest.

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The unrecognizable capital

Mamoudzou was hit hard by the eye of the cyclone, as were the two main islands of the archipelago: Petite-Terre and Grande-Terre. While the most solid buildings such as health facilities and schools escaped with damaged roofs, the rest of the city, mainly made up of shanty towns, no longer exists.

The images show the amount of mud and debris littering the archipelago. All that remains are piles of metal sheets and other makeshift shelters, under which hundreds of people are still missing.

The latest report on Tuesday evening stated that 22 people were dead and 1,373 injured. In addition, the 200 Red Cross volunteers have not been found. The day after the disaster, the prefect already feared several hundred, even several thousand deaths.

Difficult operations

Water is lacking, food is rare and health risks such as diseases loom over the Mahorais. Added to this are communication problems and power cuts.

The airport control tower is being urgently repaired. Because without it, planes can only land at night, halving supplies.

Food is also being sent from Reunion Island, which serves as a hinge between the archipelago and mainland France. It will take months to rebuild, and several more days before we have a clearer idea of ​​the human toll.