“This cyclone was like a roller, it crushed everything.” The death toll from the disaster is growing

Cyclone Chido hit the south-eastern regions of Africa last weekend and raged for several dozen hours over Mauritius, Mozambique, Malawi and Mayotte, among others. The element, carrying hurricane winds with a speed exceeding 200 kilometers per hour and extreme rainfall, destroyed everything in its path. As CNN reported on Wednesday, 45 people died in Mozambique, 31 in Mayotte and 13 in Malawi.

The disaster virtually razed Mayotte, a French overseas territory located in the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. On Wednesday, CNN, citing local authorities, reported that the official death toll there had increased to 31 and that over 1,300 people were injured.

French authorities fear that the real number of victims may be in the hundreds or even thousands. The problem is that it is not entirely clear how many people live in Mayotte. Official data says there are 321,000 people, but the real population may be higher due to undocumented immigration from the Comoros or Madagascar.

The search for missing people continues in Mayotte. – This cyclone was like a roller, crushing everything, Nasrine, a teacher from the Pamandzi district, told AFP.

A curfew has been in force in Mayotte since Tuesday. This is to prevent looting.

Many areas of Mayotte remain inaccessible to rescuers, and as of December 16, approximately 85 percent of the region's territory was without electricity. Tens of thousands of people in Mayotte still have no access to water. Scientists fear an outbreak of infectious diseases as many bodies have still not been found. People have difficulty accessing food because stores are rationing supplies. The French government is trying to prevent famine.

– Everyone is rushing to the shops for water. There is a general shortage, Ali Ahmidi Youssouf, a 39-year-old resident of Petite-Terre, one of the islands belonging to the French overseas territory, told AFP on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, food arrived in Mayotte via a special air corridor.

– Nine flights took place today. These are state planes and Air Austral planes that are chartered by the state, said Ludovic Frico, secretary of the National Federation of Ports and Docks.

The ship carrying over 100 containers of aid funds will reach the island affected by the cyclone within three days. French authorities announced that this will be the first of many regular transports. The ship scheduled to reach Longoni is carrying water, food, medical supplies and reconstruction equipment.

For several days, the inhabitants of Mayotte have been trying to cope with the effects of the disaster. In the capital – Mamoudzou – repairs to damaged house roofs are underway. In the suburban slums, locals are trying to recover what they can from the razed areas.

– I haven't received any signal from my employees for five days. It's like going back to the Stone Age, one of the island's inhabitants told Reuters.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced a visit to the island on Thursday.