عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

French PM Promises Concrete Aid for Cyclone-hit Mayotte

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou (C) and French Minister of the Overseas Manuel Valls (2ndR) react as they visit the ESCRIM hospital in Mamoudzou on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 30, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou (C) and French Minister of the Overseas Manuel Valls (2ndR) react as they visit the ESCRIM hospital in Mamoudzou on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 30, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
TT
TT

French PM Promises Concrete Aid for Cyclone-hit Mayotte

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou (C) and French Minister of the Overseas Manuel Valls (2ndR) react as they visit the ESCRIM hospital in Mamoudzou on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 30, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou (C) and French Minister of the Overseas Manuel Valls (2ndR) react as they visit the ESCRIM hospital in Mamoudzou on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 30, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou arrived in Mayotte on Monday, vowing to bring help to the Indian Ocean territory ravaged by a cyclone.

The most devastating cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years caused colossal damage in France's poorest department in mid-December, killing at least 39 people and leaving more than 4,000 injured, according to the latest count.

Authorities have warned the death toll could rise in the archipelago.

The people of Mayotte "often have the sentiment that what we bring them are assurance, pretty words of solidarity,” Bayrou said after visiting a desalination plant.

But what they want is "concrete" action, he said.

"After a day of dialogue, we will announce tonight a plan named 'Mayotte standing', that will pave the way," he added.

"And afterwards, there will be a second phase. A long-term plan. Because it's not just about rebuilding Mayotte as it was. It's about designing a different future for Mayotte."

Bayrou arrived in the territory accompanied by a large delegation including education minister Elisabeth Borne and Manuel Valls, the new overseas territories minister.

The 73-year-old Bayrou, only recently appointed prime minister, had faced criticism for attending a town hall meeting in his home city while Mayotte grappled with the aftermath of the deadly cyclone.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Strong Earthquake Kills at Least 126 People in Tibet

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)
TT
TT

Strong Earthquake Kills at Least 126 People in Tibet

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)

 A strong earthquake shook a high-altitude region of western China and areas of Nepal on Tuesday, damaging hundreds of houses, littering streets with rubble and killing at least 126 people in Tibet. Many others were trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the remote region.
Rescue workers climbed mounds of broken bricks, some using ladders in heavily damaged villages, as they searched for survivors. Videos posted by China's Ministry of Emergency Management showed two people being carried on stretchers by workers treading over the debris from collapsed homes.
At least 188 people were injured in Tibet on the Chinese side of the border, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
More than 1,000 homes were damaged in the barren and sparsely populated region, state broadcaster CCTV reported. In video posted by the broadcaster, building debris littered streets and crushed cars.
According to The AP, people in northeastern Nepal strongly felt the earthquake, but there were no initial reports of injuries or damage, according to the country's National Emergency Operation Center. The area around Mount Everest, about 75 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of the epicenter, was empty in the depth of winter when even some residents move away to escape the cold.
The quake woke up residents in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu — about 230 kilometers (140 miles) from the epicenter — and sent them running into the streets.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake measured magnitude 7.1 and was relatively shallow at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles). China's Earthquake Networks Center recorded the magnitude as 6.8. Shallow earthquakes often cause more damage.
The epicenter was in Tibet's Tingri county, where the India and Eurasia plates grind against each other and can cause earthquakes strong enough to change the heights of some of the world’s tallest peaks in the Himalayan mountains.
There have been 10 earthquakes of at least magnitude 6 in the area where Tuesday’s quake hit over the past century, the USGS said.
About 150 aftershocks were recorded in the nine hours after the earthquake, and the Mount Everest scenic area on the Chinese side was closed.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to rescue people, minimize casualties and resettle those whose homes were damaged. More than 3,000 rescuers were deployed, CCTV said.
Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing was dispatched to the area to guide the work, and the government announced the allocation of 100 million yuan ($13.6 million) for disaster relief.
About 6,900 people live in three townships and 27 villages within 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) of the epicenter on the Chinese side, state media said. The average altitude in the area is about 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), the Chinese earthquake center said in a social media post.
On the southwest edge of Kathmandu, a video showed water spilling out into the street from a pond in a courtyard with a small temple.
“It is a big earthquake," a woman can be heard saying. "People are all shaking.”