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.

Local officials in the French territory Mayotte fear as many as 1,000 people have died after Tropical Cyclone Chido hit the island off the coast of Mozambique on Saturday.

Hundreds, possibly thousands are feared dead after Cyclone Chido hit the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.