Cyclone Chido which hit the French territory of Mayotte, killed several hundreds and may run close to thousands, the island’s top government official informed. The widespread destruction hit the French archipelago sweeping through French territory in the Indian Ocean bringing winds of more than 200km/h (124mph) and damaging makeshift housing, government buildings and a hospital.
Mayotte Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville told TV station Mayotte la 1ere that some ‘several hundreds’ are feared dead and the figure can even be close to thousands ‘given the violence of this event’. However, he could not confirm the figure.
He said that this was the worst cyclone to have fit France in the past 90 years. The French Interior Ministry confirmed at least 11 deaths and more than 250 injuries earlier Sunday but said that was expected to increase substantially.
Bieuville said it was extremely difficult to get an exact number of deaths and injuries after Mayotte was pummeled by the intense tropical cyclone on Saturday, causing major damage to public infrastructure, including the airport, flattening neighbourhoods and knocking out electricity supplies.
France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction.
Mayotte takes the burn:
Cyclone Chido, which blew through the southwestern Indian Ocean on Friday and Saturday, also affected the nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar, however, as Mayotte was directly in the cyclone’s path the island suffered the most destruction. The French weather service said that Cyclone Chido is a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale.
Chido brought winds in excess of 220 kph (136 mph), according to the French weather service, making it a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale. Later, Chido made landfall in Mozambique on the African mainland and there were fears for more than 2 million people in the country's north who could be impacted, according to authorities there.
French President Emmanuel Macron said his thoughts were with the Mayotte people and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau is due to travel to Mayotte on Monday.
(With inputs from AP)
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