A state of emergency has been declared in Dominica following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.
In a statement yesterday, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, said Dominica is still isolated with no means of communications and transportation connections to the neighbouring islands.
Mr. Skerrit says the French government is sending a helicopter to the devastated country to provide assistance and facilitate the evaluation of the situation.
The Prime Minister says with recovery now underway he’s declared a state of emergency and a curfew from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily.
In the aftermath of the hurricane, eight persons have now been confirmed dead, and as many as 24 are presumed dead.
According to Barbados Nation, 15 persons are presumed dead in the southern community of Point Michel and 4 had been buried already.
The others are unaccounted for.
Reports indicated that one female from the community of Stock Farm perished.
There are 8 more deaths in other communities around the island, bringing the possible death toll so far to as many as 24.
Mr. Skerrit’s Principal Advisor, Hartley Henry, says the Prime Minister fears that figure will rise as he makes his way into the rural communities.
On Tuesday, the executive director of the Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Ronald Jackson said there would be “billions of dollars” in damage.
There’re approximately 70,000 people in Dominica.
Jackson says virtually every one of them would be directly or indirectly impacted.
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