DENIS, La Reunion, France (Reuters) -At least three people died when cyclone Garance slammed into the French overseas territory of La Reunion on Friday with wind speeds of up to 155 kph (96 mph), Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said.

Cyclone Garance, a category 3 cyclone carrying gusts of up to 200 kilometers per hour winds, was on Friday deemed a "direct threat" to the Indian Ocean island La Reunion, placing it under "purple alert",

Cyclone Garance barrelled across La Reunion island on Friday killing at least two people as fierce winds left destruction across the French Indian Ocean territory, authorities said.

Winds of up to 230 kilometers per hour battered the French Indian Ocean territory of 900,000 people. The storm earlier forced the closure of the main airport on nearby Mauritius.

One person died, and two were missing, after cyclone Garance slammed into the French overseas territory of La Reunion with top wind speeds of 155 kph (96 mph) on Friday, the local prefect told franceinfo broadcaster.

Residents of the Indian Ocean islands Mauritius and La Reunion rushed to stockpile essential items on Thursday, as Cyclone Garance approached the two territories. The storm, which is expected to pass 50 kilometers from La Reunion's shores,

The Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and La Reunion were on high alert Thursday for an intense tropical storm, Cyclone Garance, which was labelled a "direct threat" to the tourist destinations. Mauritius shut its main airport on Wednesday,

Cyclone Garance slammed into the French overseas territory of La Reunion with top wind speeds of 96 mph (155 kph) on Friday (February 28), blowing away roofs and cutting power and access to drinking water for many residents.