Mayotte - Cyclone Chido

[agricola]

Sorry if there is already a thread, but this sounds horrific even by the standards of recent weather events:

At least several hundred people are feared to have been killed after the worst cyclone in almost a century ripped through the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Saturday, uprooting trees, tearing houses apart and pounding the impoverished archipelago’s already weak infrastructure.

Rescuers have been dispatched to the islands, which lie between the coast of Mozambique and Madagascar, but their efforts are likely to be hindered by damage to airports and electricity distribution in an area where clean drinking water is subject to chronic shortages.


Speaking to Mayotte’s la 1ere TV station on Sunday, the archipelago’s prefect, François-Xavier Bieuville, said the confirmed toll of 11 dead was likely to soar over the coming days.

“I think there will certainly be several hundreds, maybe we will reach a thousand, even several thousands,” he said.

Hundreds feared dead as Cyclone Chido devastates French island of Mayotte

Witnesses tell of ‘apocalyptic scenes’ after worst storm to hit the Indian Ocean territory in almost a century

www.theguardian.com

 

[tim]

Grim according to the Islands prefect there could be thousands dead

Speaking to Mayotte’s la 1ere TV station on Sunday, the archipelago’s prefect, François-Xavier Bieuville, said the confirmed toll of 11 dead was likely to soar over the coming days.

“I think there will certainly be several hundreds, maybe we will reach a thousand, even several thousands,” he said.

 

[tim]

Perhaps, thousands dead in a predictable disaster, cyclones of this magnitude have happened before, for which no adequate preventative measures had been taked on a island that is officially an integrated part of the French Republic and the European Union.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

It's an awful story.

 

[planetgeli]

Perhaps if you're tiny and over 5000 miles away a lack of interest becomes somewhat inevitable. But beware the results of that. This isn't the only hurricane Mayotte has produced over the last few years.

97% Muslim.
10% living on a euro a day, 75% below the poverty line.
A refugee 'crisis'.

Result? Marie Le Pen goes from 2.7% in 2012 to 42.7% in the first ballot in 2022. Her best result anywhere in France. Because she was the only political candidate to actually go there. (Macron sent a video and a letter).

There will be much wringing of hands now. For a situation that could have been changed beforehand.

This is not the right way to do slum clearance.

Mayotte was a tragedy waiting to happen.

 

[krtek a houby]

Wonder if the French government will be as quick off the mark with aid, as they were with rebuilding Notre Dame...

 

[ID47]

Saw a video of the gendarmerie, all White guys, driving around the devastation in a large blue painted armoured car equipped with what looked like grenade launchers with their assault rifles clearly visible.

My understanding is that Mayotte is a department of France so what the fuck is going on with the poverty and apparent total absence of aid?