France is rushing help by ship and military aircraft to its poor overseas territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean that has been shattered by its worst storm in nearly a century.

Mayotte Prefect Francois-Xavier Bieuville told broadcaster Mayotte La 1ere that there might be several hundreds of deaths, “maybe we would approach a thousand.” He stressed that the counting of the human toll was difficult.

France has sent emergency service workers to Mayotte, its Indian Ocean territory, after the island was hit by a severe tropical cyclone. Winds of more than 225km/h (140mph) were recorded on Saturday morning as Cyclone Chido struck the island,