Cyclone Chido has killed hundreds and possibly as many as a thousand people in the French Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte, local officials said.
France has sent rescue teams and aid to its largely impoverished overseas department in the Indian Ocean, which has suffered widespread devastation.
The powerful storm, which hit the Indian Ocean island on Saturday, brought heavy rain and winds of more than 200 kilometers per hour, police said.
Entire neighborhoods were flattened and key infrastructure suffered significant damage.
After the red alert was lifted, rescuers rushed to the devastated areas to rescue survivors and recover bodies, but some areas remain inaccessible, French broadcaster BFMTV reported.
President Emmanuel Macron has called an emergency meeting at the Interior Ministry to discuss the situation in the country’s poorest region.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau is expected to visit Mayotte later in the day.
