Nearly 900 killed by hurricane in ravaged Haiti

Nearly 900 killed by hurricane in ravaged Haiti

(Vatican Radio) More than 900 people have died, as Hurricane Matthew ravaged Haiti, with the death toll expected to rise, as more remote areas are revealed.  

Pope Francis has appealed for concrete acts of solidarity for the stricken nation.

As James Blears reports, the hurricane is now mauling South Carolina.

Haiti-the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, took the vicious brunt of Hurricane Matthew.  It tore into the South of the country,  destroying flimsy houses, bringing death.  

More than 80 percent of the coastal settlement of Jeremie, which is situated on a low hill, just off the beach, was wiped off the face of the map. 

More than a quarter of million people in Haiti, are today homeless. The Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal. 

Haiti`s  never fully  recovered from an earthquake in 2010, which killed thousands.

Cuba and the Bahamas were next in line for Hurricane Matthew, suffering severe damage and significant loss of life.  

Then Florida, where there are reports of four deaths.   

Now Matthew which has been downgraded from a Force four to a Force one Hurricane is closing in on Charlston, South Carolina. It`s winds which at their strongest over Haiti,  were whipping up to 230 kph... are gusting at 140 km per hour, and it`s carrying heavy belts of torrential rain, leading to severe flooding.  

The most powerful and destructive Caribbean origin Hurricane in a decade, is not yet done.

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