(MENAFN) At least 30 people have died, including 25 in Haiti, after powerful Hurricane Melissa struck the Caribbean, following destruction in another island nation, media reported on Wednesday.

The storm caused the La Digue River to overflow, triggering severe flooding in southern Haiti and claiming 25 lives.

Jean Bertrand Subreme, mayor of the coastal town of Petit-Goave in southern Haiti, said the river inundated nearby homes, killing over two dozen people.

As of Wednesday morning, dozens of houses had been destroyed, and many residents remained trapped under debris, according to Subreme, who has called on the government for assistance with rescue efforts.

Jamaica, also battered by Melissa, has evacuated roughly 25,000 people to emergency shelters.

A Jamaican government official said authorities are currently unable to confirm any deaths linked to the storm.

Although three people were reported dead in Jamaica while preparing for the hurricane, officials have not released an official death toll since the storm hit the island on Tuesday.

"We have not had alerts of any deaths so far. So we cannot presume that there are deaths," Local Government and Community Development Minister Desmond McKenzie told a press conference.

The hurricane’s eye swept over Jamaica’s rural western parishes, while the capital, Kingston, largely avoided the storm’s most destructive effects.

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