SAINT-DENIS, Reunion (AP) 鈥� An overnight curfew goes into force Tuesday evening as authorities try to stabilize Mayotte in the aftermath of , the most intense storm to hit the French Indian Ocean archipelago in 90 years.
The official from Saturday's cyclone rose to 22, with more than 1,400 injured including 48 people critically, according to the latest report from Mayotte Hospital quoted by Ambdilwahedou Soumaila, the mayor of the capital, Mamoudzou. However, authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died.
The curfew requires people to stay in their homes between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. each night as authorities try to prevent looting of damaged buildings.
Speaking on France Inter radio Tuesday morning, Mayotte lawmaker Estelle Youssouffa described the challenges in accounting for victims, especially among undocumented migrants.
鈥淭he real toll of those swept away by the mud, winds and tin will never be known,鈥� Youssouffa said. 鈥淭his population, by definition undocumented migrants, are the main victims of this tragedy because they feared going to shelters.鈥�
Youssouffa shared a harrowing account from an imam she spoke to on Monday, who reported burying more than 30 people in a single day in La Vigie, a makeshift settlement.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 even know if these figures are included in the official count,鈥� Youssouffa said.
Soumaila, Mamoudzou鈥檚 mayor, said he planned to visit areas hit hardest by the cyclone on Tuesday, where survivors are still reeling from the destruction. Nearly 70% of Mayotte鈥檚 population has been gravely affected, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.
Aid efforts continue, with French military aircraft delivering water and food daily. However, power outages and communication disruptions persist, leaving many without basic necessities. The island鈥檚 main hospital remains severely damaged, and a field hospital is expected to arrive Thursday.
French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to visit Mayotte soon and to declare a national mourning period.
Cyclone Chido is the deadliest storm to strike the territory in nearly a century, underscoring the vulnerability of the island鈥檚 impoverished population.
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Nouvian reported from Paris.
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AP Africa news:
Adrienne Surprenant And Tom Nouvian, The Associated Press
