France marked a day of mourning Monday for victims of Cyclone Chido, which devastated its poorest territory, Mayotte, over a week ago. The cyclone was the most destructive to hit Mayotte in 90 years and caused extensive damage to the island off Africa's east coast.

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.

France mourns victims of Cyclone Chido, which wreaked havoc on Mayotte, causing at least 35 deaths and leaving thousands injured and displaced. The cyclone severely damaged infrastructure. Local residents struggled to comprehend the disaster's severity,