Hurricane Matthew death toll surges past 800 in Haiti

Officials in Haiti have declared that at least 842 people have been killed, and tens of thousands more left homeless following the onslaught of Hurricane Matthew.

The death toll in Haiti continues to rise as emergency workers slowly began to assess the damages to marooned areas of the country’s southwestern peninsula. Some experts fear that the death toll could even rise into the thousands as many areas remain inaccessible.

According to officials, many areas remain only accessible by air or by sea following the storm, so the full extent of damages can not yet be determined.

The 145-mph storm hit the poverty stricken Caribbean country on Tuesday leaving a trail of death and destruction in its path. Officials say the situation may become even worse, as survivors are now struggling to access clean water, which may prompt a mass outbreak of Cholera.

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The United States has declared that it will send a Navi ship, with at least 300 Marines in addition to the 250 personnel and nine helicopters already deployed in Haiti to help aid the rescue and stabilization efforts.

Hurricane Matthew is now raging along the coast of Florida, where a state of emergency was declared and evacuations ordered.