French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Thursday to the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte to survey the devastation wreaked by Cyclone Chido.

Marcon will overfly the area for an aerial appraisal of the damage before visiting the hospital. He will then visit a destroyed neighborhood.

French authorities said at least 31 people have died and more than 1,500 people were injured, more than 200 critically.

But it's feared hundreds or even thousands of people have died after the strongest cyclone in nearly a century ripped through the French territory on Saturday. (AP)