St Lucia’s Prime Minister Stephenson King today declared a state of emergency as St. Lucia struggles to recover in the aftermath of what he described as the worst natural disaster in the history of the island.
The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) reported King as saying that while the damage caused by Hurricane Tomas, when it struck over the weekend has been conservatively estimated at in excess of US$100 million, the government has already made an appeal for regional and international assistance.
“We have already put out through NEMO (National Emergency Organisation) a declaration of a state of emergency which immediately triggers off our regional and international appeal, and so the international community will respond.
CMC said that scores of persons in the southern part of the island have remained trapped as a result of various landslides, washed away bridges and the collapse of the road network.
So far 12 people have been confirmed dead and the search is continuing for others trapped in houses hit by the landslides, the news agency said.
