A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy has been killed in The Bahamas as Hurricane Dorian continues to devastate islands in the archipelago.
The boy, who has been named as Lachino McIntosh, was reportedly killed in the Abaco islands. His sister is still missing.
Hurricane Dorian, which has been upgraded to a category 5 hurricane, has caused “unprecedented” damage on the Abaco islands, the nation’s leader has said.
Hubert Minnis, the prime minister of The Bahamas, tweeted today: “Grand Bahama is still feeling the impact of the Category 5 #HurricaneDorian. Based on reports out of Abaco, the devastation is unprecedented. Winds have decreased to 165MPH but Dorian remains an extremely dangerous storm. Our focus right now is rescue, recovery and prayer.”
The Bahamas are being hit with winds of up to 200mph and tides have risen to around 23 feet above ordinary levels, the National Hurricane Center said today.
Speaking from the government complex, which had been turned into a makeshift shelter after many on the island were “compromised” by the extreme weather, Darren Henfield, the Bahamian minister of foreign affairs, said: “In north Abaco, central abaco, by all accounts, we have received catastrophic damage.
He added: “We have reports of casualties, we have reports of bodies being seen, we cannot confirm those reports until we go out and have a look for ourselves.”
Henfield told the citizens in Abaco that it was not safe to go outdoors, with trees and power lines downed and assured that first responders would make their way to those in distress once it was safe to do so.
JUST IN: video coming from the Abacos.
(1/2) “We’re holding strong, we’re just asking you to continue to pray for us.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs and North Abaco MP, Honorable Darren Henfield addressing the current state of Abaco.#HurricaneDorian2019 [2] #Abaco [3] pic.twitter.com/QfJPb3FESP [4]— ZNS Bahamas (@ZNSBahamas242) September 2, 2019 [5]
Hurricane Dorian is expected to continue to affect The Bahamas throughout the rest of Monday.
Bahamas ministry of tourism and aviation director-general Joy Jibrilu said: “The Bahamas is an archipelago with more than 700 islands and cays, spread over 100,000 square miles, which means that the effects of Hurricane Dorian will vary greatly. While we are relieved that most of the nation will be unaffected, we are deeply concerned about our neighbours in The Abacos and Grand Bahama Island.”
The Grand Bahama International Airport and the Leonard Thompson International Airport have both been closed as a result of the extreme weather conditions.