Several hundred people died after Cyclone Chida

The search for survivors on Mayotte, a French island territory in the Indian Ocean, continued on Sunday after a powerful cyclone hit it.

Rescuers are still trying to reach some towns and there are fears that the death toll could reach into the thousands once the damage is fully assessed.

Whole communities were flattened when Cyclone Chida brought winds of more than 225 km/h (140 mph), with the poorest living in makeshift shelters particularly hard hit.

Some of Mayotte’s population of 320,000 said they were struggling with severe shortages of food, water and shelter.

One of the residents of the capital, Mamudzai, who was standing in line for food, said: “We haven’t had water for three days, so there is a lot of it.

“We are trying to get the bare minimum to survive because we don’t know when the water will come back.”

Mohamed Ishmael, another resident of Mamudzu, told the Reuters news agency that the situation was a “tragedy” and said: “You feel like you’re in the aftermath of a nuclear war… I saw a whole neighborhood disappear.”

Another said they used a nearby school as a shelter, adding: “We can still hide with our neighbors and we still stick together and are careful. We need everyone to hold hands.”

Mayotte’s impoverished communities, including undocumented migrants who have come to French territory in an attempt to gain asylum, are believed to be particularly hard hit due to the vulnerable nature of their housing.

Its population is heavily dependent on French aid and has long struggled with poverty, unemployment and political instability.

About 75% of the population lives below the national poverty line, and unemployment hovers around one in three.

French President Emmanuel Macron said his thoughts were with “our compatriots in Mayotte, who lived through the most terrible hours and who, for some, lost everything, lost their lives.”

Although some French humanitarian and rescue workers have reached Mayotte, efforts to reach some settlements are still ongoing.

François-Xavier Beauville, the island’s prefect, told local media that the death toll could rise significantly after a full assessment of the damage. He warned that there “will definitely be several hundred” and could reach thousands.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailo, who is due to visit the island, acknowledged the “extreme seriousness” of the cyclone and assured that relief efforts were being stepped up.

Cyclone Chido also brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to Mozambique, making landfall early Sunday about 25 miles (40.2 km) south of the northern city of Pemba, weather officials said.

The cyclone caused structural damage and power outages in the northern coastal provinces of Nampula and Cabo Delgado on Saturday morning, authorities said.

Guy Taylor, spokesman for the UNICEF aid agency in Mozambique, said “we were hit very hard early this morning.”

“Many houses have been destroyed or seriously damaged, medical facilities and schools are closed,” he added.

Mr Taylor said UNICEF was concerned about the “loss of access to critical services”, including treatment, clean water and sanitation, and the “spread of diseases such as cholera and malaria”.