FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Nearly 1,000 people are suspected to be victims of Cyclone Chido which hit the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, the island's top official has said.
The prefect of Mayotte, Francois-Xavier Bieuville, told local TV station La 1ere: "I think there are several hundred dead, maybe we will reach close to a thousand, even thousands.
He said that it is currently difficult to determine the exact number of victims.
Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage, with the nearby islands of Comoro and Madagascar also affected as it tore through the southeastern Indian Ocean.
Forecaster Meteo-France said it was the strongest storm in more than 90 years to hit the islands.
France's interior ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers were at the scene, along with rescuers and firefighters from Mayotte and the nearby territory of Reunion.
Supplies are also being loaded onto military aircraft and ships.
Mayotte has a population of just over 300,000 spread over two main islands about 500 miles off the east coast of Africa.
It is France's poorest region and has struggled with drought, poor investment and gang violence for decades.
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