France’s President Emmanuel Macron said that he would soon visit Mayotte in the aftermath of a cyclone that ripped through the French Indian Ocean territory, with hundreds feared dead.
As rescuers raced to reach the survivors, images from Mayotte showed scenes of devastation, with homes reduced to piles of rubble.
After summoning key government officials on Monday, Macron announced he would visit the archipelago “in the coming days”, declaring the most destructive cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years a national catastrophe.
“In the face of this tragedy, which has shaken each and every one of us, I will declare a national mourning,” he posted on X after the evening crisis meeting.
Cyclone Chido is the latest in a string of storms worldwide fuelled by climate change, according to experts.