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Death toll from Hurricane Irma rises to 23

The death toll from Hurricane Irma in the eastern Caribbean is now at 23.
     
This has been confirmed by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) which released a statement.
     
Four of the deaths have been confirmed on the British Virgin Islands.
     
The other deaths were confirmed on the French territories of St. Martin and St. Barts, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dutch Sint Maartin, Barbuda, and Anguilla.
    
Officials have said they expect the death toll to increase.  
 
Meanwhile, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, (CDEMA), said the Dominican Republic and Haiti feared much better than other countries following the passage of Hurricane Irma.
   
Ronald Jackson, head of CDEMA, said the agency has received preliminary information of flooding on the northern sections of both countries.
   
Mr. Jackson said the Turks and Caicos Island has also informed CDEMA that it has been affected by the storm.
   
Hurricane Irma slammed into Grand Turk Thursday evening, ripping off roofs, flooding streets, snapping utility poles and causing an island-wide blackout.
   
According to Mr. Jackson, officials in TCI are carrying out assessments to ascertain the level of damage. He said the TCI has already signalled that it needs help from the agency.
 
Netherlands helping St. Martin 
 
In the meantime, the Netherlands is sending more forces to contain what has been described as serious post-storm looting on the island of St Martin as Hurricane Irma left a trail of destruction.         
    
Prime Minister Mark Rutte said more soldiers and police would be deployed amid reports of people with guns and machetes roaming the streets. 
    
A French minister said she witnessed looting close up.
    
The island is shared between France and the Netherlands.
    
Damage to property on St. Martin is extensive with rooftops shredded and boats ripped to pieces.
    
Most of the island's 80,000 residents have lost their homes.
 
 
 
 


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