Sawt Falasteen - France races to find survivors in cyclone-hit Mayotte

French President Emmanuel Macron will be in Mayotte on Thursday, his office announced, as officials warned of a death toll reaching hundreds -- possibly even thousands -- from the most destructive cyclone in living memory.

"The tragedy of Mayotte is probably the worst natural disaster in the past several centuries of French history," Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said.

After the French overseas territory emerged from a first night under curfew, rescuers raced to find survivors in the ruins of shantytowns while also unblocking roads and clearing rubble.

Bulldozers were clearing the heliport of the island's only hospital, while residents were busy repairing their metal-sheet huts.

Cyclone Chido was the latest in a string of storms worldwide fuelled by climate change, according to meteorologists.

Experts say seasonal storms are being super-charged by warmer Indian Ocean waters, fuelling faster, more destructive winds.

Authorities imposed a nightly curfew to prevent looting.

A preliminary toll from France's interior ministry shows that 31 people were confirmed killed, 45 seriously wounded and 1,373 suffering lighter injuries.

But officials said the toll could rise exponentially.

"What I fear is that the toll will be far too high," said French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau who visited Mayotte on Monday.

After hitting Mayotte, Cyclone Chido made landfall in Mozambique, claiming at least 45 lives, injuring 500 people and destroying more than 20,000 homes, authorities said.

- 'Crushed everything' -

Located near Madagascar off the coast of southeastern Africa, Mayotte is France's poorest region.

At the small commune of Pamandzi, sheet metal debris and destroyed wooden structures were strewn as far as the eye could see.

"It was like a steamroller that crushed everything," said Nasrine, a Mayotte teacher who declined to give her full name, as she showed visitors around the neighbourhood of La Vigie, which was razed.

Health services across Mayotte are in tatters, while power and mobile phone services have been knocked out.

The airport is closed to civilian flights while the question of how to ensure supplies of drinking water has caused mounting concern.

"Everyone is rushing to the stores for water," said Ali Ahmidi Youssouf, a 39-year-old resident walking on the road with a few bottles in his hand.

Bayrou said 50 percent of the electricity network had restarted, with a target of 75 percent "by the end of the week".

Macron was initially due to take part in a Brussels summit with EU leaders but cut short his trip to go to Mayotte.

- 'Massive support' -

Much of Mayotte's population is Muslim whose religious tradition dictates that bodies must be buried rapidly, meaning some may never be counted.

Assessing the toll is further complicated by irregular immigration to Mayotte, especially from the Comoros islands to the north, meaning much of the population is unregistered.

Mayotte officially has 320,000 inhabitants but authorities estimate about 100,000 to 200,000 more people, taking into account undocumented migrants.

French military planes have been shuttling between Mayotte and the island of La Reunion -- another French overseas territory to the east that was spared by the cyclone.

Coming next was a "civilian maritime bridge" between both island groups, said Patrice Latron, the prefect in La Reunion.

"We're moving to a phase of massive support for Mayotte," he said, adding that around 200 shipping containers with supplies and water would arrive in Mayotte by Sunday.

The French navy support and assistance vessel Champlain, which set sail from La Reunion, is due to arrive in Mayotte on Thursday morning with 180 tonnes of freight on board.

The government said it would set up a field hospital to relieve pressure on the main hospital and its exhausted staff.

Mamoudzou city hall, meanwhile, called for adults "in good physical shape" to step forward and assist emergency services.

E.Qaddoumi--SF-PST