Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit the hurricane-hit department of Mayotte on Thursday, the BFMTV broadcaster has reported, citing the Elysee Palace.
The latest data indicated that Cyclone Chido that has swept Mayotte has claimed the lives of at least 22 people, injuring 1373.
Macron on Monday announced his intention to visit the prefecture, adding that he will then go on a national tour in relation to the tragedy.
On Monday, Mayotte Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville said that nearly 1,000 people might have died after Cyclone Chido hit the French archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The prefect said it was “extremely difficult” to establish an exact number of victims at the moment. On Tuesday, the local authorities introduced a curfew from 10:00 p.m. local time to 4:00 a.m. local time (19:00-01:00 GMT).
France’s meteorological service later said that the cyclone was the most severe hurricane to hit the island in 90 years.
The powerful cyclone, packing winds of more than 124 miles per hour, also lashed the islands of Comoros, Madagascar, and Mozambique.
