Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage on the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, leaving several people dead, officials said Saturday, as the storm roared toward the east coast of Africa.

The death toll in the French territory of Mayotte from Cyclone Chido is “several hundred” and may run into the thousands, the island’s top government official told a local broadcaster Sunday.

France used ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies to its Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Monday after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in a century.

Destroyed building after Cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, on December 14, 2024 in the capital Mamoudzou. DANIEL MOUHAMADI/AFP via Getty Images ...

A soldier looks at damages in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities on Sunday Dec. 15, 2024.

A person stands amid uprooted trees and debris after Cyclone Chido hit the Mecufi district, Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique, Dec. 16, 2024, in this screengrab taken from a handout drone video.

Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage on the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, leaving several people dead, officials said Saturday, as the storm roared toward the east coast of Africa.