Hurricane Melissa death toll rises to 49 with dozens missing
- Hurricane Melissa's confirmed death toll has risen to 49 after devastating parts of the northern Caribbean.
- Haiti reported at least 30 deaths and 20 missing due to torrential rains, with 23 fatalities in Petit-Goave from a river bursting its banks.
- Jamaica, hit as a powerful Category 5 hurricane, confirmed at least 19 deaths, widespread damage, and over 70 per cent of electrical customers without power.
- The storm, which tied for the second strongest Atlantic hurricane on record by windspeed, caused an estimated $48 billion to $52 billion and economic loss across the western Caribbean.
- While Cuba evacuated 735,000 people and sustained extensive damage, no deaths were reported there, as Melissa continued past Bermuda as a Category 2 storm.