from ARMANDO DOMINGOS in Maputo, Mozambique
Mozambique Bureau
MAPUTO, (CAJ News) – MAYOTTE, the France overseas department, is reeling from the death of at least 14 people after Tropical Cyclone Chido.
Dozens more have been injured while informal settlements have been particularly badly impacted with extensive damage to residential structures.
Telecommunications infrastructure has been destroyed. Widespread power outages were ongoing at the time of publication.
Sea ferry services are disrupted.
“The casualty figure will almost certainly increase as communications are reinstated and rescue operations continue,” said an expert.
Koungou, Mamoudzou and Petite-Terre are the worst hit by the storm.
Authorities are maintaining a red cyclone alert.
Emergency workers and some French senior politicians were due to arrive in Mayotte this week to ascertain the damage and assist in recovery operations in the island of an estimated 331 000 people, located in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean.
In Mozambique, the National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) has issued a public advisory warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorm, and strong winds over parts of Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa provinces through at least Tuesday associated with Chido after it made landfall on Sunday (yesterday).
Malawi’s Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has issued a severe tropical storm warning.
Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eswatini, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe are forecast to be impacted.
– CAJ News