Hurricane Melissa, almost 50 dead in the Caribbean including 19 in Jamaica
Cuban authorities stated that some 735,000 people were evacuated, mainly in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguin and Guantanamo.
Key points
Hurricane Melissa's death toll is worsening, with nearly 50 people killed in the Caribbean, including 19 in Jamaica. This was reported by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), which predicts that flooding will subside in the Bahamas, although high water may persist in Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and the neighbouring Dominican Republic.
"The confirmed death toll from Hurricane Melissa now stands at 19," including nine in Westmoreland and eight in St. Elizabeth, both in the hard-hit western part of the Caribbean island, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon told local news outlets, including the Jamaica Gleaner.
In Jamaica and Cuba, access to communication and transport remains largely cut off. A
Haiti, the country's civil protection agency said the death toll had risen to 30, with 20 injured and another 20 missing. More than 1,000 homes were reportedly flooded and some 16,000 people had to find shelter.
In eastern Cuba, grappling with the worst economic crisis in decades, people struggled through flooded streets lined with flooded and collapsed houses. The storm broke windows, knocked down electrical and mobile communication cables, and tore off roofs and tree branches. Cuban authorities said some 735,000 people were evacuated, mainly in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguin and Guantanamo.
