Maria rips isle apart

HURRICANE Maria, the strongest to strike the US island territory of Puerto Rico in nearly 90 years, has carved a path of ruin, causing severe flooding and plunging it into darkness.

The death toll in the Caribbean rose to at least 10.

Maria, the second major hurricane to rage through the region this month, was projected to pass north of the Dominican Republic.

The storm ripped roofs from buildings and turned low-lying roadways into rushing debrisladen rivers.

“It’s nothing short of a major disaster,” said governor Ricardo Rossello.