Irma slammed into the islands after first making landfall on the island of Barbuda to the southeast, with the French weather office saying: "These islands are suffering major impacts." As Irma approached the French-run Saint Barthelemy, a favourite jet-setters' destination also known as St. Barts, the office measured winds of 244 kilometres per hour (151 mph). French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb also said that government buildings on the island of Saint Martin -- the most sturdy built there -- had been destroyed. The population on the French side of the island of Saint Martin is around 40,000, with around the same number estimated to live on the Dutch-administered side. A total of around 9,000 people live on Saint Barthelemy.

Source: The Nation Bangkok September 06, 2017 12:22 UTC