: *Hurricane Maria leaves at least 15 dead in Dominica*

: *Hurricane Maria leaves at least 15 dead in Dominica* Hurricane Maria, the second major storm to hit the Caribbean this month, has left at least 15 people dead and 20 more missing in Dominica, the small island nation's prime minister said. Roosevelt Skerrit confirmed the death toll on Thursday, which puts the total casualty figure from Maria to at least 25 across the Caribbean. "So far, we would have buried in excess of 15 people," the prime minister told a television network of neighbouring Antigua and Barbuda. Maria made landfall on Dominica as a Category 5 storm late on Monday night, destroying hundreds of homes and cutting off the mountainous island's communication systems and shutting its two airports. It was later downgraded to a Category 4 storm. Skerrit himself had to be rescued during the hurricane, which blew the roof off his residence on the island, home to about 72,000 people. "Dominica is going to need all the help the world has to offer," Skerrit told reporters.