The French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte has been hit by the worst storm to hit the archipelago in nearly a century.
At least two people are believed to have died when Typhoon Chido made landfall on Saturday, causing wind gusts of more than 225km/h (140mph) and there are fears more people may have died.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France would be “present” for the people of Mayotte, while French officials said 250 firefighters and security personnel would be sent to the islands, some of which had already arrived.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said “all temporary homes have been completely destroyed” and he feared a “heavy” death toll.
Located in northwest Madagascar, Mayotte is an archipelago consisting of a main island, Grand-Terre, and several smaller islands.
Even before the storm hit hard Saturday morning, there were reports of uprooted trees, torn roofs and downed power lines.
The head of the Mayotte firefighters’ union, Abdoul Karim Ahmed Allaoui, told the BFM news channel on Saturday morning that “even emergency responders are in lockdown”.
“There is no cell phone service and we cannot contact the people on the island,” he continued.
“Even buildings built to earthquake standards cannot survive.
“The emergency services command center has been evacuated and is operating at partial capacity.”
Acting French Transport Minister Francois Durovray wrote on X. The island’s Pamandzi airport “suffered heavy damage, especially the control tower”.
He added that air traffic “will initially be restored by military aid aircraft. Ships are on their way to ensure supplies.”
Interior Minister Retailleau wrote in a statement on X: “I fully support the people of Mayotte. State and local emergency services have been fully mobilized. 110 civil security officers and soldiers Firefighters have been dispatched and are on site. A second dispatch will be made tomorrow with 140 additional personnel.”
French Prime Minister François Bayrou, who took over on Friday, said the storm was of “exceptional severity” and he was being updated on the situation “hour by hour”.
Mayotte was initially placed on purple alert – the highest level – and a “strict lockdown for the entire population, including emergency services” was imposed. It has since been downgraded to red to allow emergency services to leave their bases.
Retailleau said the island has not experienced such extreme weather since 1934.
Cyclone Chido is also expected to hit Mozambique on the African continent.
