Cyclone Chido is as dangerous as a 'nuclear bomb', millions were affected in Mayotte, and thousands dead

A devastating cyclone ' Chido' hit the French archipelago of Mayotte on Saturday. Thousands of people are feared dead due to its grip. Mayotte is located just west of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. This terrible cyclone caused so much devastation that a person living there compared it to a nuclear bomb. According to the Associated Press report, the French Health Minister has confirmed the death of at least 14 people. According to officials, the actual death toll could be much higher.

Bruno Garcia, owner of the Hotel Caribou in Mamouzou, the capital of Mayotte, told CNN affiliate BFMTV that the situation here is very scary and devastating. We lost everything. The whole hotel is completely destroyed, there is nothing left here now. It seems as if a nuclear bomb has fallen on Mayotte.

The city, made up of two main islands, is about twice the size of Washington DC. According to the French Meteorological Department, category 4 cyclone Chido passed through the southwestern Indian Ocean over the weekend, affecting northern Madagascar. It then intensified and struck Mayotte with winds of over 220 kilometres per hour (136 mph).

The cyclone has now weakened

Meteo-France said it was the most powerful cyclone to hit the island in more than 90 years. Chido then moved into northern Mozambique, where it caused massive damage. However, the cyclone has now weakened after causing massive destruction.

This cyclone has affected an area with a population of more than 3 lakh. It has destroyed the surrounding areas. It has badly damaged the power grids. The hospitals and schools there have been completely destroyed and the airport control tower has been damaged.

What we are experiencing is a tragedy, it feels like you are in the aftermath of a nuclear war. I have seen entire neighbourhoods disappear in this cyclone,” Mamouzou resident Mohamed Ishmael told Reuters. Located about 5,000 miles from Paris, Mayotte is the poorest place in the European Union. It is struggling with unemployment, violence and a deepening migration crisis.