Hurricane Irma has destroyed buildings and caused major flooding on several French island territories in the Caribbean.
The four “most solid” buildings on Saint Martin, shared by France and the Netherlands, were destroyed, French Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said.
Power cuts there and on Saint Barthélemy disrupted communications.
The category five hurricane, the highest possible level, has sustained wind speeds reaching 300km/h (185mph).
The most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade first hit Antigua and Barbuda, before moving on to Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy (also known as St Barts).
It is expected to move on towards Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. In the US, Florida’s Key West area has ordered a mandatory evacuation, with landfall expected at the weekend.
