New Zealanders have been trapped in the New Caledonian capital amid deadly rioting fear supplies of food and medicine are running low.
Four people are dead, hundreds have been injured and there's been mass looting in Noumea after clashes between indigenous pro-independence protestors and security forces.
France has deployed troops in an attempt to quell the unrest - sparked by planned changes to voting laws.
In the midst of the violence are dozens of New Zealanders, including 51 hunkering down at a single hotel.
Noumea has descended into a city of chaos where fires burn, looters move in and residents are jolted by gunfire and explosions.
Wellington resident Barbara Graham told Newshub the violence escalated rapidly.
"From the previous place that I was staying, I could look across the harbour and see all these fires burning out of control, black smoke billowing out of the city."
She said multiple shops have been ransacked.
"The shops that are open, that I've seen, are getting really bare. Shops have been looted and burnt out."
Graham is in Noumea researching for her PHD.
She fled her previous accommodation due to nearby protests and is now at a friend's home in central Noumea.
"I'm not sure anyone feels safe right now."
Her biggest worry is getting home to her family, including her six-year-old son.
She's booked on a flight out on Saturday, but with the the International Airport Tontouta shut, she doesn't know if it'll leave, or if she'll even be able to get to the airport.
"The road from Noumea to Tontouta which is about a 40 minute drive is quite dangerous and there are road blocks throughout that highway."
Clashes erupted between the indigenous Kanak people and security forces after lawmakers in Paris backed changes to voting rolls that the indigenous population say will weaken their political influence.
The proposed changes would allow French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years to vote in elections.
One local Kanak resident said they've been excluded from negotiations.
"We feel oppressed, we are angry. Everything is taking place over there, and us, we are wondering - are we being heard, we the Kanak people?"
Another said it feels like the indigenous population has been forgotten.
"What I've noticed is that no one ever thinks of us. We talk of sharing, of equality, but that never existed."
In the middle of the chaos is Mangawhai Heads resident Mike Lightfoot, who's with 51 other New Zealanders at Hôtel Château Royal.
He and his wife encountered the rioting firsthand when they left their hotel to visit a doctor.
"As we came down onto the waterfront, we came to a major roundabout that was blocked. The whole centre of the roundabout was on fire. There were about 150 protestors there."
He said hotel staff warned guests there's adequate food until tomorrow.
"There's definitely issues of supplies and getting things into the hotel and medication is running out so that's becoming an issue as well."
Lightfoot wonders if New Zealand's politicians realise the seriousness of the situation.
"We feel that the New Zealand Government potentially hasn't understood the urgency of us Kiwis up here. There are 51 kiwis at the hotel we're at."
More than 140 people have been arrested and more than 300 have been injured. Among those killed, were three young Kanak, and a police officer.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters condemned the violence.
"The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the situation, so that there can be dialogue and calm."
He said the safety of New Zealanders is of utmost concern.
"New Zealanders in New Caledonia are advised to avoid all protests. Local authorities have recommended that individuals stay in place and limit their movements as much as possible."
