Cyclone Chido inflicted "catastrophic" damage on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Saturday, a senior local official told AFP, battering the archipelago with winds of up to 220 kilometres (137 miles) per hour.

The islands of Comoros, Madagascar and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean are bracing for Cyclone Chido as it makes its way toward Africa’s east coast.

The French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte issued its highest alert Saturday as Cyclone Chido approached, ordering everyone including rescue workers to seek shelter .