Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville told the local broadcaster Mayotte La 1ere that the death toll could be in the thousands. He said he could not provide a specific figure
The French interior ministry said "it will be difficult to account for all victims" at this stage. Officials previously confirmed at least 11 deaths
Weather forecaster Meteo France said the cyclone swept through the French territory in the Indian Ocean, bringing winds of more than 200km/h (124mph) and damaging makeshift housing, government buildings and a hospital
"Everyone understands that this was a cyclone that was unexpectedly violent," French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou told reporters after an evening inter-ministerial meeting on Saturday
A senior official said on Sunday (local time) that the death toll from Cyclone Chido's passage across Mayotte can be in the thousands, as France rushed in rescue workers and supplies, France 24 reported
"I think there will definitely be several hundred, perhaps we will come close to a thousand or even several thousand" deaths, prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville told broadcaster Mayotte la Premiere
Located nearly 8,000km (4,970 miles) from Paris, the Mayotte archipelago is significantly poorer than the rest of the country and has grappled with violence and social unrest for decades, according to Al Jazeera
Cyclone Chido was also expected to make landfall on Sunday in northern Mozambique's Cabo Delgado or Nampula provinces
Amid this situation, European Union President, Ursula von der Leyen, affirmed her support to France
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