At least three people were killed when Hurricane Beryl battered the islands of Carriacou, Petite Martinique, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, authorities said.
Two deaths have been reported on the Grenada islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said at a press conference on Tuesday, citing Carriacou and Petite Martinique Minister Tevin Andrews.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves announced on Monday evening that Hurricane Beryl had struck St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with at least one person previously reported dead.
Hurricane Aftermath: Mitchell said the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique were the hardest hit in Grenada, where the eye of the hurricane passed. The situation in Grenada is dire, with the country still without power as of Monday, the prime minister said.
Homes, buildings and gas stations have been almost completely destroyed on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, with “the potential for widespread destruction,” Mitchell said.
The prime minister said movement was severely restricted on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, with roads impassable due to large amounts of debris strewn across the streets.
Mitchell explained that the destruction of gas stations means heavy machinery operators are unable to receive fuel to travel around the island and clear debris and roads.
The prime minister added that due to Grenada’s maritime alert, the country’s coast guard is unable to reach the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.
Mitchell said a special aircraft would transport the Grenada police commissioner, officials from the Grenada National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) and a technical assistance team to Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The prime minister has also requested the deployment of helicopters from the region.
“We as a nation are coming to terms with the reality of this tragedy,” Mitchell said.
