Irma: UK military to provide emergency support to hurricane victims

A group of 'mixed expertise' will be sent to the region following the category five storm

The British military is deploying a task group to provide support to the Caribbean as Hurricane Irma continued to cause carnage.

A group of "mixed expertise" will be sent to the region following the category five storm, which has killed at least 10 people and cut a trail of destruction, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

More than a million people were left without power on Puerto Rico while Barbuda was said to have been left "barely habitable" after the hurricane passed overhead, leaving around 60% of the island's approximately 1,400 people homeless.

An MoD spokesman said: "There will be a range of strategic aircraft, helicopters, and the task group will be made up of marines, engineers, medical advisers.

"The numbers and timelines of how many and when are still being worked out.

"We are also working out which airfields are available in the region."

He added: "The aim is to offer support, hopefully clear the roads and get as much support there ahead of Hurricane Jose which is due in the coming days."

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay naval ship has also been deployed to the region with humanitarian supplies.

Airports in the Bahamas are shutting down as the massive storm approaches while Florida is on high alert with the storm forecast to hit at the weekend.

The storm destroyed nearly all buildings on the island of Barbuda on Wednesday, killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape, before wreaking havoc on the French territories of St Martin and St Barts.

At least eight people were killed and 23 injured in French Caribbean island territories, while one death was reported on the nearby island of Anguilla, a British overseas territory that was among the first islands to be hit.

Officials reported extensive damage to its airport, hospitals, shelters and school and said 90% of roads are impassible, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, which also reported "major damage" to houses and commercial buildings in the British Virgin Islands.

Thousands of British tourists believed to be holidaying in the Caribbean have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida.

Its winds have fallen slightly to 175 mph (285 km/h), and the storm is forecast to remain a category 4 or 5 over the next few days.

As thousands of Florida residents begin evacuating and others board up their homes, President Donald Trump urged people to "be careful, be safe".

In a tweet on Thursday, Mr Trump remarked that Irma "is raging but we have great teams of talented and brave people already in place and ready to help".

Irma is currently about 120 miles south east of Grand Turk island, part of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The British Overseas Territory is set to be hit by the storm.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said the hurricane has "devastated" the area, leaving it difficult to know the full scale of casualties.

He told Sky News: "We're hearing reports now of casualties, of people who have been hit by flying debris sadly but again some of the governors (of the islands) haven't got accurate reports because they are simply these populations who are out of touch with the centre in a number of these territories.

"But these are British people, these are British nationals, and we are going to help them as much as we can."

He described the clear-up and rebuilding of the islands as a "huge, long-term challenge" but said Britain is committed to helping those affected.

Several hundred troops are being sent to the Caribbean and a second ship is being diverted to the area, Sir Michael revealed.

He said: "Now we already have a ship in the area, Mounts Bay is there, she's already at work with her helicopters and her marines helping Anguilla, that particular island, but I've also today authorised the deployment of a taskforce, a task group of several hundred troops, marines, engineers and additional helicopters who are now preparing to fly out to the Caribbean as soon as we can be clear what airfields remain open to us.

"I'm also diverting a second ship, flagship HMS Ocean, which is now preparing to sail west towards the islands to bring the help that will be needed for reconstruction after the hurricane has passed."

Responding to criticism that not enough help was in place ahead of the hurricane, Sir Michael said RFA Mounts Bay is "already at work" clearing roads and helping to restore power.

He added: "We're there and we're helping, but obviously this is a huge challenge, more help is going to be needed and that's what we've authorised today. "

Press Association