Aerial photos show enormous devastation caused by Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. The photos, released by the Dutch Ministry of Defence, show smashed hotels, a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes.
An aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/ReutersAn aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/ReutersAn aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/Reuters
Images of the country's Juliana Airport showed the landing strips appear intact, though the navy said the airport is "unreachable" for now. Andre van der Kamp, commander of the Dutch ship Zeeland, tweeted that the Zeeland and Pelikaan would be trying to moor on Sint Maarten to deliver emergency aid on Thursday (7 September), but they needed to complete a safety check of the port first.
An aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/ReutersAn aerial photograph shows the damage caused by Hurricane Irma to the Princess Juliana International Airport and Simpson Bay Beach, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/AFPAn aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/ReutersAn aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/Reuters
Dutch Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk said he briefly had contact with Saint Martin's prime minister but communications are sporadic. Sint Maarten is an independent nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with a population of around 40,000 – about the same as the French side. "It is an enormous disaster, 95 percent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock," Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International.
Aerial footage shows scale of Irma devastation to Sint MaartenIBT
French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said eight people were killed and the toll was likely to rise. "We did not have the time yet to explore all the shores," Collomb told Franceinfo radio, adding that 23 people were also injured.
An aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/ReutersAn aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/ReutersAn aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/ReutersAn aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/ReutersAn aerial photograph taken by the Dutch Ministry of Defence shows the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint MaartenNetherlands Ministry of Defence/Reuters
In all, at least 10 people were reported killed by Irma on four islands. The island of Barbuda is a scene of "total carnage" and the tiny two-island nation will seek international assistance, said Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Browne told the BBC about half of Barbuda's population of some 1,800 were homeless while nine out of 10 buildings had suffered some damage and many were destroyed.