France is using ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies the island chain of Mayotte after its worst cyclone in nearly a century.
By Gerald Imray and Thomas Adamson, Associated PressThis photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows vehicles of the Gendarmerie Nationale driving on a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction.
French Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq said the official death toll stood at 14 but told France 2 television that was likely a major undercount “compared to the scale of the disaster.” This undated photo provided by NGO Medecins du Monde on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, shows a devastated hill on the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities.
But he added it would be extremely hard to count the deaths and many might never be recorded, partly due to the Muslim tradition of burying people within 24 hours. Mayotte is also a destination for people from even poorer countries, like nearby Comoros and Somalia, who may have entered illegally and thus will be hard to track down.
In Mayotte, the main hospital suffered extensive water damage to the surgery, intensive care, emergency and maternity departments, according to Darrieussecq, the health minister. Authorities said efforts are underway to establish a field clinic and deploy 100 additional medical personnel to the territory.
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