Dozens killed by cyclone in Mayotte not thousands, French PM Bayrou believes

French Prime Minister François Bayrou believes dozens of people died after the cyclone hit the territory, rather than thousands.

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Bayrou told BFMTV he thought the "alarmist and sometimes terrifying numbers put forward won't be borne out in reality".

The confirmed death toll on Mayotte so far is 35 but, in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, local prefect François-Xavier Bieuville feared that it would "definitely be several hundred" and could reach thousands.

The prefect told France Info radio on Tuesday that investigations in the field were progressing well that "allow us to think that we will corroborate this figure of 35".

Defending his initial remarks, Bieuville insisted "I have never been alarmist, I was simply unable to give the number of victims".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2y0794qe2o

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