IRMA: Mainland rescue teams expected in the West Indies

Hurricane Irma has left at least four people dead and 50 injured, and has destroyed 95 per cent of the islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy; Guadeloupe has also been affected. Gendarmes have flown to the French West Indies to secure the islands and combat looting; among them are 20 military personnel from the National Gendarmerie’s Criminal Research Institute, whose aim will be to identify the victims. Numerous firefighters from across mainland France, along with rescue personnel from military civil defence units, will be tasked with providing assistance to those affected. Based in Martinique, the French Navy frigate “Ventose” is also delivering food and water to those affected. Accredited civil protection and humanitarian organisations will also be providing support.

📌 #HurricaneIRMA By tomorrow, 1,100 civil servants will be deployed to #SaintMartin and #SaintBarthélemy >> https://t.co/RtK2FuErHV pic.twitter.com/WyNIU5GdOt

— Ministry of the Interior (@Place_Beauvau) 8 September 2017

--- On the web, the volunteers from the VISOV association have been hard at work since Wednesday evening. This team, often described as ‘virtual firefighters’, has, in particular, set up a person search form in order to facilitate the identification of wanted persons.