The death toll in the French territory of Mayotte from Cyclone Chido is “several hundred” and may be close to 1,000, the island’s top government official has said.
Mayotte Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville told TV station Mayotte la 1ere that “I think there are some several hundred dead, maybe we’ll get close to a thousand”.
He said it was currently “extremely difficult” to get an exact number after the Indian Ocean islands were pummelled by the intense tropical cyclone on Saturday, causing widespread destruction.
Officials had confirmed at least 11 deaths in Mayotte earlier on Sunday but said that was expected to increase.
Mayotte in the southeastern Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa is France’s poorest island and the poorest territory in the European Union.
Chido blew through the Indian Ocean on Friday and Saturday, also battering the nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar.
Mayotte was directly in the cyclone’s path and suffered extensive damage on Saturday, officials said. Officials said it was the worst cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years.
Chido brought winds in excess of 220kph (136mph), according to the French weather service, making it a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale.
