“We feel completely abandoned”: Mayotte residents call for help after Cyclone Chido causes devastating damage

Richard Kagoe
BBC News, Nairobi

image source, Reuters

The latest footage from Mayotte paints a clearer picture of the devastation caused by the cyclone.

In the capital Mamoudzou, street after street is full of trees and rubble, and seemingly every house is damaged. A nurse at the main hospital said there was nothing left.

Residents lined up outside stores looking for water and other essentials.

Mayotte remains largely cut off from the rest of the world after Cyclone Chido devastated French territory, severely affecting communications.

Families are desperately trying to locate missing relatives, but movement across the island is nearly impossible as roads remain blocked.

Scenes of destruction can be seen everywhere – houses razed, belongings scattered and lives destroyed. Everything was lost in an instant.

Some victims search through the rubble looking for something that can be salvaged. Rescue workers are racing against time to find survivors and restore vital services, but for victims the wait for help feels agonizingly long.

Chido’s impact was not limited to Mayotte. The storm claimed three lives in northern Mozambique, including a three-year-old girl in Nampula province.