Mayotte cyclone: Aid rushed to French territory with thousands feared dead in ‘horrific’ cyclone
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Cyclone Chido struck the islands of Mayotte with close to 140mph winds, and the death toll may reach a “thousand, even several thousands”, prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville said. French president Emmanuel Macron said: “My thoughts are with our compatriots in Mayotte, who have gone through the most horrific few hours, and who have, for some, lost everything – lost their lives.” Sebastien Lecornu, the French minister of the armed forces, said on X, formerly Twitter: “For the accommodation of emergency services, three structures capable of accommodating 150 people are on site, with an additional one currently on its way,” adding that military rations and generators were also being provided. Ascertaining a precise death toll is difficult, a French official said, because Mayotte is a “Muslim land where the dead are buried within 24 hours”. The French interior ministry said that 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers were deployed soon after the cyclone struck to “help the population and prevent potential looting”.