French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India's support following the devastating 100-year cyclone that ripped across the French archipelago of Mayotte on Saturday.
Responding to PM Modi's message, President Macron said on X "Thank you for your thoughts and support, dear @NarendraModi."
"Deeply pained by the destruction wrought by Cyclone Chido in Mayotte. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I am confident that under President Emmanuel Macron's leadership, France will overcome this tragedy with resilience and resolve. India stands in solidarity with France and is ready to extend all possible assistance," said PM Modi on X.
Deeply saddened by the devastation caused by Cyclone Chido in Mayotte. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I am confident that under President @EmmanuelMacron’s leadership, France will overcome this tragedy with resilience and resolve. India stands in…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 17, 2024
Cyclone Chido, a category 4 storm, ravaged the southwestern Indian Ocean over the weekend, slamming northern Madagascar before intensifying rapidly and hitting Mayotte with winds above 220 kilometres per hour (136 miles per hour), according to CNN, citing France's weather service.
It was the strongest storm to hit the islands in more than 90 years, Meteo-France said.
Chido later moved to northern Mozambique and continued to cause destruction, while the storm has weakened considerably.
The cyclone-one of the worst to reach the territory of more than 300,000-in at least 90 years-flattened neighborhoods knocked out electrical grids, and crushed hospitals and schools-and damaged the airport's control tower, according to CNN.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou commented, "Everyone realizes that this was a cyclone that turned out to be unexpectedly violent," at an inter-ministerial meeting.
The death toll so far is mind-boggling, with authorities stating that fatalities could reach in the thousands. Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville was quoted by broadcaster Mayotte la Premiere that "I think there will definitely be several hundred, perhaps we will come close to a thousand or even several thousand.".
At least 11 deaths have been confirmed in the initial reports, but the numbers are likely to rise as rescue efforts continue.
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