France Link

Close to 1,000 now feared dead after cyclone hits Mayotte

Cyclone Chido has also caused extensive damage in nearby islands Comoros and Madagascar, as well as Mozambique.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

Close to 1,000 people may have been killed after Cyclone Chido hit the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, the island's top official has said, reports Sky News.

Mayotte Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville told local TV station la 1ere: "I think there are some several hundred dead, maybe we'll get close to a thousand, even thousands... given the violence of this event."

He said it was currently "extremely difficult" to get an exact number.

Officials had confirmed at least 11 deaths in Mayotte earlier on Sunday but said that was expected to increase.

Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage on Saturday, with nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar also affected as it blew through the southeastern Indian Ocean.

Read more of this report from Sky News.