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

Cyclone Chido not only ravaged Mayotte's infrastructure but also laid bare tensions between the island's residents and its migrant population.

France held a national day of mourning for Mayotte, its Indian Ocean territory devastated by a violent cyclone on Dec. 14, beginning in the morning on Monday with a minute of silence for the scores of residents left dead by the storm.