Authorities in the French overseas territory of Mayotte could still confirm only 31 deaths on Wednesday from Cyclone Chido, more than four days after it swept through the Indian Ocean archipelago, causing mayhem and killing possibly thousands.

The death toll from Cyclone Chido's rampage through the French overseas territory of Mayotte remained unclear on Wednesday, with shantytowns that were home to undocumented migrants flattened and many areas still inaccessible.

Hundreds are feared dead after the storm razed entire neighborhoods in Mayotte, a series of islands off the eastern coast of Africa, before unleashing its destructive force on Mozambique.