Nearly a thousand people are feared dead on the French island of Mayotte after the storm, which destroyed roads, downed power lines and cut communications, hampering search operations.

t’s a struggle for the rescue teams in Mayotte who have begun the search for possible survivors following the devastating cyclone over the weekend. So far, France has deployed 110 soldiers, with an additional 160 expected to arrive later today when the French interior minister visits. But it’s difficult because the search operation has been hampered by damage to the infrastructure across the island. Moving around is also hard as the roads have been damaged, the power lines are down, and communication has been cut. It’s a very desperate situation.