France rushes aid to Mayotte where hundreds possibly thousands are feared dead following worst cyclone in nearly a century

France used ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies to its tiny Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Monday after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century.Authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died.Survivors wandered through streets littered with debris, searching for water and shelter after Saturday’s Cyclone Chido leveled entire neighborhoods when it hit Mayotte, the poorest territory in France and — by extension — the European Union.“Chaos” is how resident Fahar Abdoulhamidi described the aftermath.In Mamoudzou, Mayotte’s capital, destruction was total: Schools, hospitals, restaurants, and government offices were in ruins.Hillside villages were reduced to a jumble of snapped trees and piles of corrugated metal and wood.Electricity was down across the archipelago, with only the capital spared, and authorities were concerned about a shortage of drinking water.

Telecommunications also were severely disrupted, because most antennas were knocked out of service.The French Red Cross described the devastation as “unimaginable” and said that it was impossible to give an exact number of victims, with rescuers still searching for bodies in the rubble.Many ignored the warnings issued 12 to 24 hours before the storm hit, underestimating its power.“Nobody believed it would be that big,” Abdoulhamidi, 46, told The Associated Press by phone.“Those who live in bangas stayed in despite the cyclone, fearing their homes would be looted,” he said, referring to the island’s precarious informal settlements.Even worse, many migrants who are living in Mayotte illegally avoided shelters out of fear of deportation, Abdoulhamidi added.

“Many were trapped in a vicious cycle,” he said.Authorities used military-style vehicles to clear trees from roads so rescuers and supplies could reach those in need.The damage — including to the territory’s sole airport — has left some ar...