The French island of Mayotte, located in the Indian Ocean, was hit by the worst hurricane to hit the islands in nearly a century.
At least two people were reportedly killed when Typhoon Chido made landfall on Saturday, packing wind gusts of more than 225 km/h (140 mph), and more are feared dead.
A local official told French media that the island's shantytown was “completely destroyed,” while French Interior Minister Bruno Retilio said he feared there would be a “large” death toll.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France would “be there” for the people of Mayotte, while French officials said 250 firefighters and security personnel would be sent to the islands, some of whom have already arrived.
Mayotte is located northwest of Madagascar. It is an archipelago consisting of one main island, Grande Terre, and many smaller islands.
Even before the hurricane struck with full force on Saturday morning, there were reports of trees being uprooted, roofs ripped off buildings and power lines toppled.
“Even emergency responders are closed,” Abdelkarim Ahmed Allaoui, head of the Mayotte firefighters union, told BFM news channel Saturday morning.
He continued: “There is no mobile phone service and we cannot reach people on the island.
“Even buildings built to earthquake standards did not withstand.
“The emergency services command center has been evacuated and is fully operational.”
Acting French Transport Minister François Duruvray wrote on the X website that the island's Bamandzi airport “suffered severe damage, especially to the control tower.”
He added that air traffic “will initially return with military aid aircraft. Ships are on the way to ensure the return of supplies.”
“I offer my full support to the people of Mayotte,” Mr. Ritello wrote in a statement on the “Additional.”
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who took office on Friday, said the hurricane was “extremely dangerous” and he was being kept informed of the situation “hour by hour”.
Mayotte was initially placed under purple alert – the highest level – and a “strict lockdown was imposed on the entire population, including emergency services.” It has since been downgraded to red to allow emergency services to leave their bases.
The cyclone is also expected to hit Mozambique on the African mainland.
