STORY: :: Commandement Gendarmerie Outre-Mer
Video released on Sunday by the French gendarmerie showed the wreckage of hundreds of makeshift houses after the most powerful cyclone in nearly a century struck the archipelago of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.
A top local official told a local outlet that several hundred – maybe even thousands – may have been killed by Cyclone Chido.
Asked about the death toll of several hundred, the French interior ministry said “it will be difficult to account for all victims” and said a figure could not be determined at this stage.
:: John Balloz
Cyclone Chido swept through Mayotte overnight, according to the French meteorological administration.
The forecaster said the storm brought winds of more than 124 mph and damaged makeshift housing, government buildings and a hospital…
… adding it was the strongest storm in more than 90 years to hit the islands.
Mayotte’s islands have been a focal point for illegal immigration from nearby Comoros.
In recent decades, thousands have attempted to cross from Comoros on the East Coast of Africa to Mayotte, which has a higher standard of living and access to the French welfare system.
According to the French interior ministry, over 100,000 undocumented migrants live in Mayotte.
Some 77% of the people in Mayotte live below the French poverty line.
:: UNICEF Mozambique
The cyclone went on to hit northern Mozambique on Sunday.
