The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Ten dead after Irma hits Caribbean
PM Theresa May offers £32m for relief effort after winds of up to 180mph leave trail of destruction
At least 10 people were confirmed dead after Hurricane Irma swept in with 180mph winds, leaving a trail of destruction in the Caribbean.
Britain has bolstered the funds available for tackling the aftermath of the hurricane as it continues to lay waste to the region.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Jose, which is following Irma, has been upgraded to a Category 3 storm.
Prime Minister Theresa May announced £32 million has been released to assist the relief effort, up from £12m, after devastation was unleashed on British overseas territories.
The military has parachuted a task group of experts into the affected areas of the Atlantic to provide support while the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Mounts Bay ship is transporting supplies.
At least six people are known to have died and the island of Barbuda has been left “barely habitable” after the Category 5 storm flattened swathes of the Caribbean.
Speaking after a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee, the Prime Minister said: “No one can fail to be affected by the absolutely desperate plight of people in the Caribbean who have been hit by Hurricane Irma and my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, particularly with British nationals in the overseas territories of Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.
“It has been devastating, it is the most powerful storm to hit the Atlantic, it has brought devastation in its wake, it has destroyed buildings and infrastructure, but it has had such an impact on people’s lives because it has seen people’s livelihoods completely destroyed and, of course, some people are missing and some will have lost loved ones.
“We have taken action, we moved swiftly, there are people on the ground, £32 million has been released.”
She added the Government would “continue to do what is needed and provide what is necessary” as the storm progresses towards the US.
Addressing concerns about the speed of Britain’s response to the unfolding crisis, Mrs May said both humanitarian workers and RFA Mounts Bay had been “prepositioned”.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon added the military vessel is “already at work” clearing roads and helping to restore power.
He said: “We’re there and we’re helping, but obviously this is a huge challenge, more help is going to be needed and that’s what we’ve authorised today.”
The storm destroyed nearly all buildings on the island of Barbuda on Wednesday, killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four people were confirmed dead and about 50 injured on the island of St Martin.
The death toll was lower than one given earlier by France’s interior minister, who indicated eight people had been killed on French Caribbean territories.
One death was also reported on the nearby island of Anguilla, a British overseas territory that was among the first islands to be hit.
The island’s airport, hospitals, shelters and schools suffered extensive damage and 90% of roads are impassible, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.
It also reported “major damage” to houses and commercial buildings in the British Virgin Islands.
More than a million people were left without power on Puerto Rico after the hurricane passed overhead, while in Barbuda about 60% of the island’s 1,400 residents are now homeless.
Airports in the Bahamas were shutting down as the massive storm approaches, while Florida is on high alert, with the storm forecast to hit at the weekend.
It has been devastating, it is the most powerful storm to hit the Atlantic, it has brought devastation in its wake