Hurricane ripping through Caribbean, flattens Barbuda

Hurricane Irma has ploughed past the Dominican Republic towards Haiti after devastating a string of Caribbean islands and killing at least 14 people.

Một người đàn ông đứng cạnh ngôi nhà bị hư hại ở Puerto Rico Source: AAP

One of the most powerful Atlantic storms in at least a century, it appears ultimately headed towards the state of Florida in the United States.

The storm has lashed several small islands in the north-east Caribbean, including Barbuda, (bar-BOO-duh) Saint Martin (sahn mar-TIN) and the British Virgin Islands, causing widespread devastation.