The official death toll from Cyclone Chido in France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte has risen to 31, with approximately 1,400 people injured, according to the French Interior Ministry.

A state of exceptional natural disaster was declared in the overseas department late Wednesday night. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mayotte on Thursday amid fears that the death toll in the poorest French department could climb further in the coming days.

In a statement released late Wednesday, the caretaker Minister for Overseas Francois-Noel Buffet announced the activation of the state of the exceptional natural disaster in Mayotte to facilitate faster and more effective crisis management and implement emergency measures.

"Faced with this exceptional situation, exceptional resources must be deployed to quickly restore vital services and implement a sustainable reconstruction plan for Mayotte," he said.

He emphasised that the declaration enables faster and more effective responses from both local and national authorities while easing certain administrative processes for expedited action in Mayotte, news agency reported.

On Tuesday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) expressed alarm over more than 200 of its volunteers feared missing after the cyclone ravaged the islands.

Mayotte, located in the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean, is an overseas department and region of France. Situated off the southeastern coast of Africa, it lies between northwestern Madagascar and northeastern Mozambique.

The New Zealand government is gearing up for the response to high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, after the HPAI H7N6 was detected there on December 1.

About 200,000 chickens at the Mainland Poultry's commercial free-range egg farm at Hillgrove in Otago were humanely culled, after a farmer was instructed by law to depopulate a shed or farm, or to impose controls on their operations, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said on Thursday.

The HPAI has not been found anywhere else in New Zealand, and "we are on track to stamp this out," Hoggard said while briefing media about the current situation.

The government has allocated new funding of 20 million NZ dollars (11.26 million U.S. dollars) to enable the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response, including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 laboratory in Wellington, and ongoing surveillance, and to cover compensation costs, he said.

At least 44 commuters have been confirmed dead and 76 others were injured in two separate road accidents in east Afghanistan's Ghazni province on Wednesday night, a local official reported Thursday.

The mishaps took place on the outskirts of Ghazni city and in the Andar district of the province, along the highway linking the capital Kabul with the southern Kandahar province, said Mullah Hamidullah Nesar, provincial director of information and culture.

According to Nesar, all the injured have been shifted to health centres for treatment, but most of their conditions were reported as critical.

Road accidents due to reckless driving on congested roads and lack of traffic signs on dilapidated highways are leading causes of death in the war-ravaged country, news agency reported.

Emergency flood warnings were issued for communities in the northeastern Australian state of Queensland on Thursday.

Authorities issued Watch and Act alerts for communities along the Jandowae Creek and in the South Burnett region, both approximately 180 km northwest of Brisbane, with residents in low-lying areas urged to leave.

"Warn neighbors, secure belongings and enact your emergency plan," the alert said.

Intense rainfall over several days in Queensland's populous southeast triggered flash flooding and power outages in the area.

Over 2,000 properties in the area were without power on Wednesday night. As of Thursday morning, power had been restored to most of the affected properties.

A New Zealand Air Force rescue plane has arrived in Vanuatu's capital city Port Vila, the New Zealand Defence Force said.

"Our thoughts remain with the people of Vanuatu at this difficult time, and we will continue to assist as required," New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said.

The rescue plane was on board with search and rescue equipment, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade consular staff and six New Zealand Defence Force personnel, including medics and staff, who will assist with planning the emergency response and evacuation of New Zealanders, said a Defense Force media statement.

Meanwhile, a second carrier plane was also on the way to transport urban search and rescue members and equipment to Vanuatu.

Surveillance flight by a New Zealand Air Force plane over Vanuatu including outlying areas to provide imagery for damage assessments was being carried out on Wednesday and will continue on Thursday,news agency reported.

A collision between a passenger train and a freight train in the Murmansk region in northwestern Russia has claimed two lives, Governor Andrei Chibis said Thursday via his Telegram channel, with latest information showing 27 people were injured.

One passengers died in hospital, and the other died while being transported to a hospital, Chibis said in a video message.

The incident occurred at 4:15 pm local time (1315 GMT) Wednesday when the passenger train, en route from Murmansk to Saint Petersburg, collided with freight train wagons at Knyazhaya station.

The passenger train was carrying 326 people at the time of the collision, news agency reported.

Initial reports indicated that at least 10 people were injured. However, updated information showed that 27 people, including five children, sustained injuries.

A fire, allegedly caused by a petrol bomb, at a cafe in Vietnam's capital Hanoi left 11 people dead, local media reported Thursday.

The flames broke out at around 11 p.m. in the building on Pham Van Dong Street in the Bac Tu Liem district. The cafe, a popular venue for singing gatherings, was quickly engulfed in flames and smoke, which spread to a neighbouring house, according to VnExpress.

The police have found 11 people dead and rescued seven other people, with five in stable condition and two hospitalised, VnExpress reported.

The Bac Tu Liem district police confirmed that the suspect allegedly responsible for the fire was a 51-year-old man, residing in Hanoi's Dong Anh district, news agency reported quoting the Vietnam News Agency.

The police started legal proceedings against the man who had recorded two prior convictions for robbery and theft.

At least 40 Pakistanis have lost their lives in the tragic Greece boat capsize incident, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

Initially, it was reported that the death toll of Pakistanis - who had drowned while trying to enter into Europe illegally - stood at five.

However, as the Greek authorities announced an end to their rescue efforts Wednesday, it was confirmed that 35 Pakistanis have been declared dead.

The Pakistani citizens were being illegally transferred to Europe via Libya via a human trafficking racket.

As per the details, majority of the dead belong to the Punjab province and were minors or teenagers. Most of them hailed from Sialkot, Gujrat, Mandi Bahaudin and Narowal districts.

The incident has prompted the Pakistan government to form a special task force under the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and take stern action against human traffickers in the country.

The situation in Vanuatu remains concerning after a massive earthquake struck the country, and the government has requested international assistance to help respond, a UN spokesperson said.

The government of Vanuatu has declared a state of emergency for seven days following Tuesday's 7.3-magnitude earthquake. At least 14 people have been confirmed dead, with more than 200 injured. Authorities anticipated the toll will rise, news agency reported.

To complement the national response, the government has requested international assistance, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN chief, told reporters.

According to local authorities, damage inflicted by the quake is extensive, including hospitals, residential and public buildings, roads, water reservoirs and gas pipes.

Turkey and Lebanon have agreed to work together on Syrian issues following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"A new era has begun in Syria. As two key neighbors of Syria, we agree that we must act together," Erdogan said during a joint press conference on Wednesday with visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

"The stability of Syria is crucial for the stability of the region," he added, emphasising that rebuilding war-torn Syria would be a top priority for both nations.

Erdogan noted that the Israeli attacks against Lebanon are not new, and the country has been exposed to similar attacks in the past years, news agency reported.