At least four people died after cyclone Garance struck the French overseas territory of La Reunion on Friday, bringing wind speeds of up to 155 kph (96 mph), local authorities said on Saturday. "Garance has been downgraded to a strong tropical storm and the red alert has been lifted,

French police say at least three people have been killed when a tropical storm packing fierce winds and torrential rains thumped the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion.

Cyclone Garance, a category 3 cyclone carrying gusts of up to 70 kilometers an hour, was on Thursday deemed a "direct threat" to the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and La Reunion, placing both countries on high alert and prompting a race to stockpile of essentials.