At least 34 people have died in northern Mozambique following Cyclone Chido, described by the National Institute of Risk and Disaster Management (INGD) as "one of the most intense storms ever recorded" in the region. The cyclone, which struck Mozambique on Sunday after devastating Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, brought winds of up to 260 km/h (160 mph), leaving a trail of destruction.
Cyclone Chido made landfall in Cabo Delgado before moving inland to Niassa and Nampula provinces. Among the victims was a three-year-old girl. Most fatalities were caused by falling debris from collapsing structures, according to INGD spokesperson Paulo Tomas.
Over 34,000 families in Mozambique have lost their homes, with schools, health facilities, and fishing boats destroyed. Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), the state power company, reported that 200,000 customers are currently without electricity, further complicating rescue and recovery efforts.
The INGD warned that the death toll is expected to rise as authorities reach more remote areas. Calling the situation "heart-breaking," officials are working to address the devastation in regions already grappling with recurrent cyclones and Islamist militant attacks.
In Mayotte, a French overseas territory, Cyclone Chido caused unprecedented damage. Widespread infrastructure destruction has left roads impassable and power lines down, severely hindering emergency operations.
The official death toll in Mayotte stands at 21, but authorities fear hundreds, if not thousands, of lives have been lost. Tommaso Della Longa, spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross, described the situation as dire, with more than 200 Red Cross volunteers among the missing.
Estelle Youssouffa, a French MP from Mayotte, warned that tens of thousands of people might have died, with 90% of the island’s buildings damaged. She highlighted the plight of undocumented immigrants, many of whom avoided shelters for fear of deportation, leaving them especially vulnerable to the storm.
"The scale of destruction is unimaginable," Youssouffa said, adding that the full death toll may never be known due to the undocumented status of many of the victims.
French authorities have imposed a night-time curfew in Mayotte to prevent looting. Emergency teams are working around the clock, but the devastation, coupled with the high number of missing persons, poses immense challenges.
Cyclone Chido’s impact has drawn comparisons to last year’s Cyclone Freddy, one of the longest-lasting storms in recorded history, which claimed over 180 lives in Mozambique. The frequency and intensity of these storms underscore the vulnerability of the region to climate-induced disasters.
As rescue operations continue, Mozambique and Mayotte face a long road to recovery, with the full scale of the devastation yet to be fully assessed.