SUBJECT: :: Commandement Gendarmerie Outre-Mer
A video released on Sunday by the French gendarmerie showed the collapse of hundreds of traditional houses after the strongest storm in nearly a century hit the Indian Ocean islands of Mayotte.
A local council official told a local group that several hundred – perhaps thousands – may have been killed by Cyclone Chido.
Asked about the death toll of several hundred, the French interior ministry said it would be “difficult to count all the victims” and said the number could not be determined at this time.
:: 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 homes, government buildings and a hospital…
… adding that it was the strongest storm in over 90 years to hit the islands.
The islands of Mayotte have been an illegal resort from nearby Comoros.
In recent decades, thousands have tried to cross from Comoros on the East Coast of Africa to Mayotte, which has a high standard of living and access to the French welfare system.
According to the French interior ministry, more than 100,000 people without documents live in Mayotte.
Some 77% of the people in Mayotte live below the French poverty line.
:: UNICEF Mozambique
The cyclone continued to hit northern Mozambique on Sunday.