Hurricane Melissa death toll rises to 28 in storm-battered Jamaica
The country's prime minster Andrew Holness suggested the figure may rise as possible fatalities are still being verified
The number of people dead in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa ripped through the Caribbean island has risen to 28, according to the nation's prime minister.
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Andrew Holness confirmed nine deaths on Saturday, and suggested the figure may rise, with possible fatalities still being verified.
Aid authorities, including the Jamaica Defence Force and the Ministry of Health and Wellness, were coordinating the recovery and verification process, added Mr Holness.
Certain parts of the island remain inaccessible to emergency responders and aid groups due to blocked roads, debris and flooding.
In a statement, Mr Holness said: "We extend heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and communities mourning their loved ones."
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The full scale of the destruction Melissa caused in Jamaica is only becoming clear days after the storm hit due to the weather taking out the power and communications system on the island.
The category five hurricane - the strongest type - made landfall on Tuesday and has become the most powerful storm on record to hit Jamaica. At its peak, winds of 185mph (295km/h) battered the island.
Melissa has caused dozens of deaths across the Caribbean, as well as causing powerful winds and landslides in Haiti and Cuba, where over 60,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed.
At least 31 have been killed in Haiti as a result, and at least two have died in the Dominican Republic.
Some of the worst destruction in Jamaica has been found on the western portion of the island, in areas including Black River and Montego Bay.
Images have emerged showing buildings razed to the ground, debris and belongings strewn on streets, and whole neighbourhoods still under floodwater.
Around 72% of people across Jamaica still do not have electricity, according to reports by the Red Cross, and around 6,000 are in emergency shelters.
Jamaican officials have since confirmed that multiple field hospitals were being established to treat people in the worst-affected areas.
Drone shots over Jamaica show the extent of the destruction, with flood waters in the streets, buildings destroyed, and power lines collapsed.
Desmond McKenzie, a local government minister, said “it is not going to be an easy road” for Jamaica to recover.
King Charles says he is “deeply concerned” by Hurricane Melissa’s destruction and described it as a reminder of the “urgent need to restore the balance and harmony of nature”.