Local authorities say several hundred people have been killed on the French island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. AFP reports. – I think there will definitely be several hundred dead, maybe we will reach a thousand or several thousand. That was said by Francois-Xavier Bieuville, who is the prefect of Mayotte and thus the most senior civil servant on the island. Several slum areas were razed when cyclone “Chido” ravaged the island on Saturday. Photo: DANIEL MOUHAMADI / AFP Slum areas razed Poor residential areas on the island were crushed to sticks by the strong wind. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau fears that the real death toll is far higher. With wind gusts of over 220 km/h, the cyclone is the most powerful to have hit the island in over 90 years, reports Meteo-France. About 100,000 people live in the slums, according to the France 24 news channel. The island of Mayotte is a French territory and is located in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and northern parts of Mozambique. After the devastation in Mayotte, the cyclone, which has been named “Chido”, made landfall in Mozambique. On the way there, the storm seems to have become even more powerful. “Chido” hit the coast around 4 miles south of the city of Pemba, which is located in the north of the country. – The cyclone has already affected Pemba heavily. We are following the situation, but there has been no communication with Pemba since 7 o’clock, says the director of the country’s meteorological institute, Aderito Aramuge, on Sunday. According to Unicef, many homes, schools and health facilities have been completely or partially destroyed in the storm. Published 15.12.2024, at 18.02 Updated 15.12.2024, at 18.10
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