French President Macron will travel to Mayotte “within the next few days to support” the victims of the deadly Cypriot Shido disaster and “use the first aid forces”.
“We will face the emergencies and start preparing the future,” said Emmanuel Macron in a message to Platform X after a cabinet meeting on the crisis.
“After this tragedy, which affects us all, I will announce a day of national mourning,” he said.
Cyclone Shinto, the worst to hit the Indian Ocean islands in 90 years, swept across the island of Mayotte, France’s poorest overseas territory, where hundreds or even thousands of people are feared dead.
Investigations are underway
Rescue crews continue to search the ruins for survivors today and fight to restore services in Mayotte.
Cyclone Shinto ravaged much of the archipelago off eastern Africa at the weekend with winds of more than 200km/h, scattering houses on hillsides and cutting off telephones, electricity and drinking water.
With areas still inaccessible, French Interior Minister Bruno Retagio said it would take days to determine the full extent of the damage and death toll, stressing that he feared the toll would be “heavy, very heavy”. .
“I couldn’t… give you any numbers, not yet anyway. It is clear that the island is completely destroyed,” Retagio said during a press conference.
At the same time, the United States said it was ready to provide aid to the French archipelago of Mayotte after the deadly event of Cyclone Shido. “We stand ready to provide appropriate humanitarian assistance,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, expressing the nation’s condolences to the victims. The spokeswoman was unable to provide more details about the assistance or say whether a specific request had been made.
Sources: AMPE, AFP, Reuters
