The swirling wind and rain hit an area where a yearslong insurgency had already forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.

Mozambique's death toll from Cyclone Chido has risen to 94, news agency AFP said on Sunday, citing the country's disaster management agency.

The death toll from Cyclone Chido in Mozambique has risen to at least 120, authorities said on Tuesday. The cyclone caused huge damage to the French territory of Mayotte before making landfall in Mozambique on December 15 with speeds of up to 240 kilometres per hour.

Cyclone Chido has killed 94 people in Mozambique since it made landfall in the east African country last week, local authorities have said. The country's National Institute of Risk and Disaster Management (INGD) said 768 people were injured and more than 622,

Cyclone Chido has killed 94 people, injured 768 people and more than 622,000 people affected by the natural disaster in the eastern part of Mozambique.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives caused by Cyclone Chido in Mozambique,' says Turkish Foreign Ministry - Anadolu Ajansı

After making landfall the storm ravaged the northern province of Cabo Delgado with gusts of around 260km/h, pelting it with 250mm of rain in a day.

Mozambique began constructing homes for victims of Cyclone Chido this week after the storm swept through three of the country's northern regions Sunday, killing at least 70 people and injuring 600 others as it left behind a trail of destruction.