Hundreds dead after Indian Ocean cyclone sweeps through French archipelago
15 December 2024, 19:21
Nearly 1,000 people appear to be dead after Cyclone Chido hit the French archipelago of Mayotte, the islands' top official says.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The prefect for Mayotte, Francois-Xavier Bieuville, told local TV: "I think there are some several hundred dead, maybe we'll get close to a thousand, even thousands... given the violence of this event."
The official said ascertaining an exact figure was "extremely difficult".
Only 11 deaths have been confirmed so far with hundreds more expected in the coming hours.
Read More: French police detain man and seize guns after five people shot dead near Dunkirk
The cyclone caused extensive damage on Saturday, with nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar also hit.
It is said to be the strongest storm to hit the islands in more than 90 years.
Wind speeds reached more than 136mph and ripped roofs off houses and destoryed buildings.
Entire neighbourhoods have been flattened as part of the damage which has also seen the island's airport and hospital ruined.
Up to 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers have been deployed o the , alongside rescuers and firefighters from Mayotte and the nearby French territory of Reunion.
