Intense Tropical Cyclone Chido, which formed in the southwest Indian Ocean, has wreaked havoc on the French island territory of Mayotte and neighboring regions, likely resulting in thousands of casualties and widespread destruction.
Rapidly intensifying to a Category 4 storm before landfall, Chido impacted Mayotte and Mozambique, leaving local authorities bracing for a death toll that could reach into the hundreds or thousands.
Reports indicate at least 22 confirmed deaths and over a thousand injuries, with many areas remaining inaccessible. The French government has imposed a curfew to restore order while sending daily aid shipments.
Cholera outbreaks have been reported, raising fears of an epidemic due to compromised water access. In Mozambique, at least 34 fatalities have been recorded, with national mourning declared in Comoros.
Chido is noted as the strongest cyclone to hit Mayotte in over 90 years, with experts linking the storm's intensity to rising Indian Ocean temperatures and the region's low resilience to climate impacts.
This event underscores the increasing vulnerability of small island communities to climate change, as scientists warn of more intense tropical cyclones in the future.