The number of victims remains unclear several says since cyclone made landfall, and authorities fear hundreds or more could have been killed.
Published On 18 Dec 2024
President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean as it reels from the strongest storm to hit it in 90 years.
The president said he will arrive in the archipelago, which is France’s poorest territory, on Thursday and declared national mourning after ensuring “continuity of the state”.
So far, 22 deaths have been confirmed in Mayotte, but there are fears the actual toll from Cyclone Chido could be much higher.
“I cannot give a death toll because I don’t know. I fear the toll will be too heavy,” acting Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told BFMTV on Wednesday.
Newly appointed French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said on Tuesday that more than 1,500 people were injured, including more than 200 critically.
Authorities fear hundreds, or possibly thousands, could have been killed by Chido, which made landfall on Saturday and devastated the islands.
Some of the victims are believed to have been buried before their deaths were included in official tolls, and authorities are still unable to reach some areas to bury the bodies.
The situation is made more complicated because officials are uncertain about the actual population of Mayotte. Official figures put the population at 321,000, but many believe it is much higher due to undocumented immigration.
Many of the migrants are believed to be among the victims because some were living in unsafe conditions in shantytowns, which were devastated by winds reaching speeds of 200km/h (124mph).
Chido also killed at least 34 people in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi