Cyclone Chido: Thousands feared dead in France as biggest storm in 90 years rips apart Mayotte island | 10 updates

Hundreds and possibly thousands of people are feared dead after cyclone Chido hit France's Mayotte on Saturday morning. 

France has deployed military aircraft and ships for the rescue operation in the tiny French island territory off East Africa, reported the Associated Press.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would visit Mayotte soon after cyclone Chido ripped through the French Indian Ocean territory.

"At the meeting of the crisis unit, I ensured that all emergency measures to help the people of Mayotte were taken and that the continuity of the state be guaranteed," Macron said in a post on X.

Chido cyclone in France's Mayotte | Top 10 updates

-Emergency workers searched for survivors on Monday and battled to restore services in Mayotte. The official death toll has not been released, but according to AP, hundreds, or even thousands, are feared dead from cyclone Chido.

-The rescue operation is underway in Mayotte to provide emergency services to the victims of cyclone Chido. Mayotte is one of the poorest regions of France. One-third of the population of the French island lives in shantytowns whose flimsy sheet metal-roofed homes offered scant protection against the storm.

-An additional 1,500 personnel, including 800 civilian and military security teams, have been deployed in the region. The number also includes 400 gendarmes (paramilitary police officers) and engineers for infrastructure repair.

-The cyclone wreaked havoc in the region as most people ignored the emergency warnings.

-Many people ignored the cyclone warnings 24 hours before the storm hit, underestimating its power, reported AP.

- Cyclone Chido devastated large parts of the archipelago off East Africa over the weekend, with winds of more than 200 kmph (124 mph), strewing homes over hillsides and cutting off phones, power and drinking water.

-"I wouldn't be able... to give you any figures, not for the moment anyway. It's clear that the island is totally devastated," AP quoted France's acting Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Monday.

-A top French government official, Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville, has asserted that the death toll can be several hundred and can even be in the thousands. He also added that many deaths due to the cyclone won't even be recorded because of the Muslim tradition of burying people within 24 hours, according to AP.

-Mayotte is a densely populated island between Madagascar and the African continent. Home to 3,20,000 people, the archipelago has a majority Muslim population, according to the French government. It has been estimated that another 1,00,000 migrants live there from as far away as Somalia.

- Mayotte’s airport remained closed to civilian flights after its control tower was heavily damaged. Authorities said it was not expected to reopen until at least Thursday.