Cyclone Chido, which hit Mayotte Islands, may have killed hundreds or even thousands of people, the local governor said. The French overseas territory is a destination for migrants from the Comoros. Many temporary homes were destroyed in the disaster.
Powerful Cyclone Chido hit the Mayotte Islands in the Indian Ocean overnight. Wind speeds reached over 200km/h. The elements damaged homes, government buildings, and hospitals. Reuters highlighted that it was the strongest storm to hit the island in more than 90 years.
“It will definitely be hundreds, maybe a thousand, even thousands,” Governor François-Xavier Vieuxville said of the possible number of victims in the Mayotte-Laher channel.
Reuters reported that France's Interior Ministry said it was not possible to determine the number of victims at this stage, saying it was “difficult to take into account all the victims.”
Mayotte is a French overseas territory located approximately 8,000 km from Paris.
Mayotte. Elements attacked the archipelago
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “My thoughts are with my compatriots in Mayotte, who experienced the most terrifying hours, lost everything and lost their lives.”
Aerial footage released by the French gendarmerie showed hundreds of temporary homes destroyed. According to Reuters, one of the islands in the archipelago had become a center of illegal immigration from neighboring Comoros.
See: This element threatens Europe's famous cities. This area is like a powder keg.
Over the past few decades, thousands of people from the Comoros have attempted to enter Mayotte, where they have access to France's welfare system.
According to the French Interior Ministry, the archipelago is home to more than 100,000 people. Illegal immigration.
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