France's President Emmanuel Macron (R) looks on with the logo of Air Corsica on an aircraft in the background as he attends the Pope's departure ceremony at the Ajaccio airport, on the French island of Corsica, on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP)
Saint-Denis de la Reunion: France's President Emmanuel Macron said Monday 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, 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.
The disaster poses a major challenge for a government still only operating in a caretaker capacity, days after Macron appointed the sixth prime minister of his presidency.
It left health services in tatters, with the main hospital extremely damaged and health centres knocked out of operation, Health Minister Genevieve Darrieussecq told France 2 television.
Offering its "deepest condolences", the United States said it was prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the storm.
