France ramped up its relief operations to its cyclone-devastated overseas territory of Mayotte, with 120 tonnes of food due to be distributed on Wednesday to a population at risk of hunger and disease.

France is rushing help by ship and military aircraft to its poor overseas territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean that has been shattered by its worst storm in nearly a century.

Rescuers searched desperately for survivors as they sought to assess the full scale of devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido on the French overseas territory of Mayotte, which emerged on Wednesday from a first night spent under curfew.