Mayotte feels like nuclear war aftermath since cyclone, residents say

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

Cyclone Chido brought wind speeds of more than 225km/h (140mph), flattening areas where the poorest lived in sheet-metal roof shacks.

“We’ve had no water for three days now,” said one resident of the capital city Mamoudzou. “Some of my neighbours are hungry and thirsty,” another one said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he will be travelling to Mayotte “in the coming days”, as he pledged to support fellow citizens, civil servants and emergency services involved in rescue efforts.

Rescue workers, including reinforcements from France, are combing through the debris searching for survivors. Twenty people have been confirmed dead, but the local prefect said it could be thousands.

Macron said he will declare a national day of mourning, in light of “this tragedy, which has shaken each and every one of us”.

Authorities said they were having difficulty establishing the number of deaths due to the large number of undocumented migrants – over 100,000 – in a population of 320,000.

Widespread damage to infrastructure – with downed power lines and impassable roads – is severely hindering emergency operations.

Supplies have begun to arrive, but there are severe shortages of food, water and shelter in certain areas. Some 85% of the territory remains without power, and about 20% of phones appear to be working. Some areas are beginning to get tap water.

But for Amalia Mazon, a 27-year-old midwife from Brussels who has been working at the island’s central hospital, access to drinking water and food continues to be a concern.

“The water here is completely yellow. It’s unusable for us,” Ms Mazon told the BBC.

“We feel completely abandoned, and we don’t even know if help is coming. We have no news, we have no idea,” the midwife added.

Acting French health minister Geneviève Darrieussecq said the healthcare system in the archipelago had been “degraded” by the cyclone.

France colonised Mayotte in 1841 – and by the turn of the 20th Century added the three main islands that constitute the Comoros archipelago to its overseas territories.

The Comoros voted to become independent in 1974 but Mayotte decided to remain part of France.

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

About 75% of the population live below the national poverty line and unemployment…