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

French officials raised the death toll in Mayotte to 39 from 35, about 10 days after the islands were battered by a devastating cyclone.

France is rushing aid to help the Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte by ship and military aircraft after the island was devastated by Cyclone Chido – the worst storm to hit the region in nearly a century.