Cyclone death toll in Mayotte rises to 39

The death toll from cyclone Chido in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte has reached 39, according to the latest count from the island’s prefect.

Meanwhile, France’s interior ministry updated the number of wounded to 4,136, of which 124 were serious cases.

“The work of identifying the victims of the cyclone continues, in coordination with local officials and associations,” the island’s prefect said.

At least 34 operations have been launched since the disaster struck to search for the missing, the ministry said, with drones being used in the effort.

A field hospital equipped with a maternity ward and two operating theatres opened early Tuesday morning in a stadium in eastern Mamoudzou, the island’s main city. The facility is designed to receive 100 people per day for consultations and provide 30 hospitalizations.

The most devastating cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years caused colossal damage on December 14 in France’s poorest department, where relief workers have struggled since then to restore essential services such as water, electricity and communications networks.

The prefect said that 100,000 litres of water are now being distributed daily.

Restrictions on gasoline, which was previously limited to 30 litres per car at a service station, have now been lifted, though each person can only fill one jerrycan.

An air bridge set up between Mayotte, Reunion and mainland France is now able to deliver more than 100 tonnes of equipment per day.