Chido brought winds in excess of 220kph when it made landfall on Saturday, according to the French weather service, ripping roofs off houses in the archipelago which has a population of just over 300,000.
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00:00Cleanup operations have begun in the French overseas territory of Mayotte, a day after
00:06Cyclone Chido barreled into the archipelago. The French Interior Ministry said it was proving
00:12difficult to get a precise tally of fatalities, but so far 11 deaths have been confirmed.
00:17Speaking to a local TV station earlier on Sunday, Mayotte's prefect said he thought
00:22the death toll could reach 1,000. A local hospital reported that nine people were in
00:28critical condition there and 246 others were injured. One local hospital said it was treating
00:34246 people for injuries and that nine were in a critical condition. Chido brought winds
00:40in excess of 220 kilometers an hour, according to the French Weather Service, ripping roofs
00:46off houses in the territory, which has a population of just over 300,000. In some areas, entire
00:52neighborhoods of metal shacks and huts were flattened, while residents reported trees
00:56had been uprooted and electricity supplies knocked out. Officials in Mayotte said it
01:01was the worst cyclone to hit the territory in almost a century. The French Interior Ministry
01:06said 1,600 police officers have been deployed to help the population and prevent potential
01:12looting. The cyclone has now made landfall on the east coast of Africa, slamming into
01:17northern Mozambique. UNICEF said Cabo Delgado province, home to around two million people,
01:23had been hard hit. The agency is now concerned about access to health care and the spread
01:28of waterborne diseases like cholera and malaria.