Reports of widespread damage are emerging from Mayotte after a 100-year cyclone ripped across the French archipelago Saturday, inflicting devastation that one resident likened to an atomic bomb, with hundreds and possibly even thousands of feared victims.

Emergency workers raced on Monday to restore basic services to the French overseas territory of Mayotte, where hundreds or even thousands are feared dead from the most powerful cyclone to hit the Indian Ocean island in nearly a century.

The death toll in the French territory of Mayotte from Cyclone Chido is "several hundred" and may run into the thousands.