KINGSTON (dpa-AFX) – In Jamaica, rescue workers are trying to clear more than 130 roads blocked by Hurricane Melissa on foot and in some cases with machetes. “Right now it’s about getting food to people and helping those who may be injured,” said Education and Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon. The situation in the west of the country is “shocking”. Even two days after the storm passed through, numerous communities in the Caribbean country are still cut off from the outside world.
Holland Bamboo Avenue in St. Elizabeth district, popular with tourists, is blocked by fallen bamboo canes. The tall specimens of this grass plant form an impressive natural tunnel around four kilometers long. The road was originally built in the 17th and 18th centuries by the owners of a sugar plantation. “There are hundreds of bamboo plants. The helpers are trying to make their way through,” Morris said at a news conference.
Authorities say reports of deaths are difficult to confirm
Due to the devastation, authorities do not have an official death toll for Jamaica. Numerous possible bodies have been reported. However, this information could not be verified due to the difficult conditions on site, said the minister.
According to police reports, at least nine people died on the island with its 2.8 million inhabitants, local media reported. “Melissa” claimed the lives of more than 30 people in the Caribbean, including 24 in Haiti.
Hurricane Melissa is heading towards Bermuda
“Melissa” first hit Jamaica on Tuesday (local time) as a Category 5 hurricane. According to the US Hurricane Center (NHC), it was one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the Atlantic. It caused storm surges, damaging winds and heavy rains. The government declared the island a disaster area.
The storm then hit Cuba on the same day with hurricane force 3. “Melissa” then moved over the Bahamas on Wednesday with wind speeds of the lowest category 1. The storm is now heading towards Bermuda in the North Atlantic./aso/DP/jha