Why was French territory of Mayotte so ill-equipped to deal with Cyclone Chido?

A brief look at the small Indian Ocean archipelago hit by what local authorities call an ‘immense catastrophe’

Winds of at least 140mph from Cyclone Chido have devastated the French overseas département of Mayotte, leaving an estimated 100,000 people without shelter or water and hundreds, possibly thousands, dead.

Here is a brief look at the small archipelago – and why it is so ill-equipped to deal with what local authorities have described as “an immense catastrophe”.

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