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Hurricane Melissa hits Cuba after killing 26 people in Haiti, Jamaica
Hurricane Melissa is pummeling the Caribbean island of Cuba after it first caused devastation in Haiti and Jamaica, leading to the deaths of at least 26 people.
Twenty-five of the reported deaths on Wednesday came after a river burst its banks in the southern coastal Haitian town of Petit-Goave, flooding and collapsing dozens of homes.
The mayor of the town, Jean Bertrand Subreme, said that people were still trapped under the rubble of their homes.
“I am overwhelmed by the situation,” Subreme said, as he pleaded for help from the government.
The other death on Wednesday was reported in Jamaica, after a tree fell on a baby in the western side of the island, according to State Minister Abka Fitz-Henley.
The storm was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record when it hit Jamaica on Tuesday, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
As it crossed Cuba on Wednesday, it weakened to a Category 2 storm from its previous Category 5 classification. It is projected to move into the Bahamas later on Wednesday.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness had declared Jamaica a “disaster area” after Hurricane Melissa barrelled across the island.
The hurricane ripped off the roofs of homes, inundated Jamaica’s “bread basket”, and felled power lines and trees, leaving most of its 2.8 million people without electricity.
“It’s not going to be an easy road, Jamaica,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council. “I know persons … are wondering what their futures are going to be like.”
Melissa took hours to cross over Jamaica, a passage over land that diminished its winds, before it ramped back up as it continued towards Cuba.
More than 735,000 people remain in shelters in eastern Cuba, with a hurricane warning in effect for the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, Holguin and Las Tunas.
The governor of Granma, Yanetsy Terry Gutierrez, said that parts of the province, including in the provincial capital Jiguani, were “under water”.
Officials in Cuba have also reported collapsed houses, blocked mountain roads, and roofs blown off.
The Jamaican government had lifted the tropical storm warning by Wednesday, but officials are struggling to assess the damage.
“There’s a total communications blockout on that side,” said Richard Thompson, the acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, referring to the south and southwest of the island.
McKenzie said that four hospitals had been damaged and one was left without power, forcing the evacuation of 75 patients.
Heavy damage was also reported in Clarendon, in Jamaica’s south, and Saint Elizabeth, in the southwest, where a landslide blocked main roads in the town of Santa Cruz, and winds ripped off part of the roof of a school used as a shelter.
“I never saw anything like this before in all my years living here,” said one resident of the town, Jennifer Small.
“The entire hillside came down last night,” said another, Robert James.
Prime Minister Holness said on Tuesday that his government was mobilising quickly to start relief and recovery efforts by Wednesday morning.
Even before Melissa slammed into Jamaica, seven deaths – three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic – were caused by the hurricane.
[Aljazeera]
Building on its success in seizing major narcotic stocks in 2025, the Navy continued to support the “A Nation United” National Mission in 2026. In continuation of these efforts, during an
operation conducted on the high seas south of Sri Lanka, the Navy apprehended eleven (11) suspects aboard two local multi-day fishing trawlers suspected of drug smuggling.
Based on shared information, by the Sri Lanka Navy and Police, this special operation was conducted off the southern coast, deploying the Navy‟s Offshore Patrol Vessels. The operation
resulted in the interception of a multi-day fishing trawler suspected of smuggling narcotics, and the apprehension of five (05) suspects on board.
During further operations in the same area, naval units seized another multi-day fishing trawler (01), along with communication equipment and six (06) additional suspects, also believed to be involved in drug smuggling.
This morning (25 Jan 26), the two intercepted fishing trawlers, along with fourteen (14) sacks laden with suspected narcotics and the suspects, were brought to the Dikovita Fisheries Harbour.
An expert examination by the Police Narcotic Bureau confirmed that the fourteen (14) sacks contained more than 184 kilograms of heroin and over 112 kilograms of ‘Ice’ (crystal methamphetamine).
The Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara, the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, and the Inspector General of Police, Priyantha Weerasuriya, inspected the narcotics at the Dikovita harbour.
The Deputy Minister of Defence said that the current administration has initiated several projects for national development. As a flagship initiative, under the directives and guidance of the President, and under the supervision of the
Ministry of Defence, well-coordinated anti-narcotic raids have been launched.
This effort, part of “A Nation United” National Mission, involves the tri-forces, police, and all intelligence agencies working together under a coordinated plan to ensure that drug smugglers have no opportunity to bring narcotics into the country, he opined. He further stated that despite the national disaster situation, the state machinery, including the tri-forces, the police, and the public at large, remains united in rebuilding the nation, no room will be left for drug trafficking, which poses a severe threat to national security and public safety. Those
who engage in or support drug trafficking, under the cover of fishing activities, will find no escape, he added.
The Deputy Minister also reaffirmed that the tri-forces, police, and all law enforcement agencies are fully committed to their duty of suppressing this menace.
The Deputy Minister of Defence reported that, throughout 2025, a series of highly successful operations were conducted leading to numerous arrests. This was achieved through close coordination and mutual cooperation among the tri-services, the police, the Special Task Force, Police Narcotics Bureau, local law enforcement and international agencies. He noted that this
same spirit of cooperation and commitment has continued into 2026, resulting in the seizure of a large stockpile of drugs.
On behalf of the Honourable President, he extended gratitude to all who contributed to these efforts, specifically acknowledging the Commander of the Navy, the Inspector General of Police, the Police Narcotic Bureau, and the crews of the Navy’s Offshore
Patrol Vessels.
Moreover, the Deputy Minister declared that drug smuggling has become a national crisis, fueled by youth involvement and social crime. With borders secured under the “Nation United” National Mission, he warned traffickers to cease operations and urged users to abandon the destructive habit.
The Deputy Minister urged the public to report suspected drug smugglers to law enforcement via the hotlines 1818 or 1997 and also commended the role of media institutions and journalists in raising public awareness about the dangers of narcotics through responsible reporting.
Meanwhile, the two (02) multi-day fishing trawlers, along with a haul of narcotics, eleven (11) suspects, and communication equipment, were handed over to the Police Narcotic Bureau for
further investigation and legal proceedings.
Tanzania 131 in 38.3 overs (Acrey Pascal 55; Nihar Parmar 4-30, Nikhil Pol 3-23) lost to Japan 136/1 in 28.2 overs (Nihar Parmar 53*, Taylor Waugh 47) by nine wickets
[Cricbuzz]
New Zealand 135 in 36.2 overs (RS Ambrish 4-29, Henil Patel 3-23) lost to India 130/3 in 13.3 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 40, Ayush Mhatre 53) by 7 wickets [DLS Method]
[Cricbuzz]
Three arrested with narcotics valued at Rs123 million at BIA
Navy intercepts 02 narcotics-laden trawlers with 11 suspects in southern seas
Indonesian Naval Ship ‘KRI SULTAN ISKANDAR MUDA – 367’ departs island
U19 World Cup: Japan defeat Tanzania by nine wickets
U19 World Cup: Ambrish’s four-fer powers India to third straight win
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