French military aid starts to arrive in cyclone-battered Mayotte

Emergency workers raced on Monday to restore basic services to the French overseas territory of Mayotte, where hundreds or even thousands are feared dead from the most powerful cyclone to hit the Indian Ocean island in nearly a century.

Maritime and aerial operations were underway to transport relief supplies and equipment, French authorities said late on Sunday, after Cyclone Chido slammed into the islands with winds of more than 200 kph (124 mph).

"The first intervention planes arrive in Mayotte to provide emergency aid in the face of the damage caused by the cyclone. The State is fully mobilized to support the inhabitants of Mayotte in this ordeal," Nicolas Daragon, France's minister for everyday security, said on X.

The extent of casualties and physical damage on the islands between Madagascar and Mozambique remained unclear.

The prefect of Mayotte, Francois-Xavier Bieuville, said on Sunday that the death toll would "certainly be several hundred; maybe we will reach a thousand, even several thousand."

Reuters