French Territory Suffers High Death Toll From Storm

 

BY C STONE | STONE NEWS NETWORK

Cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean island Mayotte and the death toll could be in the thousands. The small island, located near Madagascar, was hit with a storm that it hasn't seen in almost 100 years.

TV Station Mayotte la iere was reporting a death toll that could approach several hundred or a few thousand people. A large majority of the islands inhabitants are Muslims and it may be impossible to get a proper estimate to the actual death toll. This is because deceased loved ones have to be buried within 24 hours of their death.

The airport is closed, and only military aircraft can fly in. Electricity is down except for Mamoudzou, the capital city, with most telecommunication antennas have been toppled or out of service.

It hit the island at 140 MPH, which could be classified as a CAT 4 Hurricane. Rescuers arrived by the nearby French territory of Reunion to help find survivors.