After the storm raged through the islands on December 14, officials say it will take days to fully comprehend the extent of the tragedy.

Rescuers searched desperately for survivors as they sought to assess the full scale of devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido.

Officials in the French island territory of Mayotte on Monday feared that hundreds could be dead as survivors emerged from the devastation of Cyclone Chido, which ripped through the region with Cat. 4 winds.