French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mayotte to assess the devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido on Thursday, December 19. Rescuers continue the race to search for survivors on the overseas French territory.
Macron's plane landed at 10:10 am local time with some 20 doctors, nurses and civil security personnel on board, as well as four tonnes of food and sanitary supplies.
His visit to the French overseas territory comes after Paris declared "exceptional natural disaster" measures for Mayotte late Wednesday night to enable faster and "more effective management of the crisis."
Macron was expected to travel with a small delegation to minimize the use of law enforcement resources needed elsewhere on the archipelago.
After an "aerial reconnaissance of the disaster area," Macron will go to the Mamoudzou hospital center, according to an itinerary released Wednesday, to "meet with the healthcare staff and the patients being treated." He will also visit a neighborhood razed by the storm, meet with Mayotte officials, and outline a reconstruction plan.
A preliminary toll from France's interior ministry shows that 31 people have been confirmed killed, 45 seriously hurt, and more than 1,370 suffering lighter injuries. But officials say the toll could rise exponentially.