Hundreds of people may have died after Typhoon Chido

Residents of Mayotte have told of “apocalyptic scenes” caused by the worst storm in 90 years hitting the French Indian Ocean territory.

Typhoon Chido brought wind speeds of more than 225km/h (140mph), flattening areas where the poorest people lived in tin-roofed tents.

“We have been without water for three days,” said Mamoudzou, a resident of the capital. Another said: “Some of my neighbors are hungry and thirsty.”

Rescue workers, including reinforcements from France, are combing through the rubble looking for survivors. Twenty people were confirmed dead, but local police said the number could be in the thousands.

Authorities said they were having difficulty determining the death toll due to the large number of undocumented migrants – more than 100,000 – out of a total population of 320,000.

Extensive infrastructure damage – with power lines down and roads impassable – is severely hampering emergency operations.

The first flight carrying relief goods arrived with tarpaulins for emergency shelters but there were severe shortages of food, water and shelter in certain areas.

Mamoudzou resident John Balloz said he was surprised he didn’t die when the tornado hit.

“I was screaming because I could see the end coming for me,” he said.

“Everything is damaged, almost everything, the water treatment plant, the electricity poles, there’s a lot of work to be done.

“People can’t do much, people are still standing still, not moving, they are waiting for help, help with food, electricity and water again, no running water.”

Mohamed Ishmael, who also lives in the capital, told Reuters news agency that the situation was “a tragedy” and said: “You feel like you’re in the aftermath of a nuclear war… I saw a whole neighborhood disappear.”

“Hunger worries me the most,” Mayotte Senator Salama Ramia told French media. “There are people who haven’t had anything to eat or drink” since Saturday, she said.

Francois-Xavier Bieuville, the island’s leader, told local media that the death toll could rise significantly once the damage is fully assessed. He warned that this number “will definitely be several hundred” and could reach thousands.

Mayotte’s impoverished communities, including undocumented migrants who have reached French territory in an attempt to claim asylum, are said to be particularly hard hit due to the vulnerable nature of their homes. their residence.

The Muslim tradition of burying the dead within 24 hours also means it is more difficult to record the number of people who have died, he said.

In addition to aid, 110 French soldiers have arrived to assist in the rescue and another 160 are on the way.

After arriving in Mayotte, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said it would take “days and days” to determine the loss of life.

Relief operations are being coordinated from Reunion – another French overseas territory.

French Red Cross spokesman Eric Sam Vah told the BBC the situation was “chaotic”.

He said they were only able to reach 20 of the 200 Red Cross volunteers in Mayotte and raised concerns about the total death toll.

Mr Vah told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The entire slum has been completely destroyed, we haven’t received any reports of people being displaced, so the reality could be horrifying.” in the coming days.”

France invaded Mayotte in 1841 – and by the early 20th century had added the three main islands that make up the Comoros archipelago to its overseas territories.

Comoros voted for independence in 1974 but Mayotte decided to remain part of France.

The island’s population is heavily dependent on French financial aid and has long struggled with poverty, unemployment and political instability.

About 75% of the population lives below the national poverty line, and unemployment hovers around one-third.

Cyclone Chido also made landfall in Mozambique, where it brought flash floods, uprooted trees and damaged buildings about 25 miles (40km) south of the northern city of Pemba. Three deaths have been reported.

Local authorities said the tornado caused structural damage and power outages in the northern coastal provinces of Nampula and Cabo Delgado on Saturday morning.

“We were hit very hard in the early hours of this morning,” said Guy Taylor, spokesman for aid agency Unicef ​​in Mozambique.

“Many houses were destroyed or seriously damaged, health care facilities and schools were not operating,” he added.

Mr Taylor said Unicef ​​is concerned about “loss of access to vital services”, including medical treatment, clean water and sanitation, as well as “the spread of diseases such as cholera and malaria”.

Chido is the latest deadly storm whose intensity is widely attributed to climate change.

Meteorologist Francois Gourand of the Meteo France weather agency told AFP that the “exceptional” storm was enhanced by exceptionally warm Indian Ocean waters.

The storm has been downgraded to a “depression” and is expected to pass through southern Malawi, then Mozambique’s Tete province, before moving towards Zimbabwe overnight on Tuesday.

Sarah Keith-Lucas from the BBC Weather Center said winds may have weakened but 150-300mm of rain was possible later on Tuesday.