'Several hundred' feared dead after cyclone hit French territory of Mayotte

euronews (in English)

The death toll from Cyclone Chido is “several hundred” and may be close to 1,000, the island’s top government official told the local broadcaster on Sunday.

Transcript

00:00The death toll from Cyclone Chido is several hundred and maybe close to a thousand, the

00:06island's top government official has told local media. It was the worst cyclone to hit

00:11the French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean for 90 years. Chido brought winds in

00:17excess of 220 kilometers an hour. In some parts, entire neighborhoods of metal shacks

00:23and huts were flattened, while residents reported many trees had been uprooted, boats flipped

00:28or sunk, and the electricity supplying knocked out. Rescuers and firefighters were sent from

00:34France and the nearby French territory of Réunion, and supplies were also rushed in

00:40on military aircrafts and ships. The French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police officers

00:46have been deployed to help the population and prevent potential looting. Mayotte is

00:52France's poorest department and has previously struggled with drought and a lack of investment.

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