The passage of Cyclone ‘Chido’ through the French territory of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean, and the devastation caused makes the authorities fear that the death toll is “several hundred”as stated by the local prefect, François-Xavier Bieuville.
Although the latest balance from a security source provided to AFP this Sunday was 14 deaths, the president assures that right now it is impossible to determine a number, but the outlook looks bleak.
«I think there will surely be several hundred, perhaps we will be close to a thousand, or a few thousand» of deaths, Bieuville told the public broadcaster Mayotte la Première.
Furthermore, it will be “very difficult to have a final balance,” details the prefect, given the Muslim tradition of much of the affected areas and according to which the dead must be buried in less than “24 hours”, so an official identification may not be feasible.
Around 246 seriously injured people rescued
In addition to the 14 deaths recorded, there are nine injured in critical condition and another 246 with serious injuries, said the mayor of Mamoudzou, the capital of Mayotte, Ambdilwahedou Soumaila.
With bursts of more than 220 km/hthe tropical cyclone was the most intense to hit this territory for more than 90 years, according to the French meteorological institute.
Emergency services were deployed by sea and air, but their interventions have been hampered by damage to airports and electricity problems.
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