Cyclone slams into France’s Mayotte archipelago, killing at least 11

PARIS (Reuters): At least 11 people were killed after a cyclone slammed into Mayotte, the most intense storm to hit the French Indian Ocean archipelago north of Madagascar in nearly a century, French weather forecasters and authorities said on Sunday.

Cyclone Chido swept through Mayotte overnight, Meteo-France said, bringing winds of more than 200 kph (124 mph) and damaging makeshift housing, government buildings and a hospital. It was the strongest storm in more than 90 years to hit the islands, the forecaster said.

It was difficult to ascertain the precise death toll after the cyclone, which also raised concerns about access to food, water and sanitation, authorities said.

“For the toll, it’s going to be complicated, because Mayotte is a Muslim land where the dead are buried within 24 hours,” a French interior ministry official said.

Located nearly 8,000 km (4,970 miles) from Paris and a four-day trip by sea, Mayotte is significantly poorer than the rest of France and has grappled with gang violence and social unrest for decades.

Tensions were stoked earlier this year by a water shortage.