MEA says in touch with Indians in four countries affected by Hurricane Irma

Indian missions in US, Venezuela, France and the Netherlands were in touch with local government officials to provide assistance to the affected Indians.

The external affairs ministry said on Saturday that it was monitoring the situation and communicating with the Indian diaspora in the US, Venezuela, France and the Netherlands in the wake of deadly Hurricane Irma.

The skyline is seen as the outerbands of Hurricane Irma start to reach Florida on September 9. (AFP Photo)

The ministry’s spokesman Raveesh Kumar said the Indian missions in the four countries were in touch with local government officials to provide assistance to the affected Indians.

“Our missions in Venezuela, the Netherlands, France and the US are constantly monitoring the situation following destruction due to hurricane Irma. They are in constant touch with the Indian diaspora affected by Irma and with local government officials to provide all possible assistance,” Kumar said in a series of tweets.

Irma, a category 5 hurricane with winds swirling at 260 kilometres per hour, barrelled towards Florida after making landfall in Cuba’s Camaguey Archipelago. It killed at least 19 people and damaged thousands of homes on the Caribbean islands.

Hurricane Irma is driving toward Florida passing the eastern end of Cuba as Hurricane Katia (L) is also seen in this NASA GOES satellite image taken on September 8. (REUTERS)

France said at least 10 people have been killed across its Caribbean territories with seven more missing. Two people died on the Dutch side of the Saint Martin island.

The external affairs ministry spokesman tweeted telephone numbers for Indians to contact in case of emergency: Embassy of India, Venezuela (+58 4241951854/4142214721); Netherlands (+31247247247); France (0800000971).

The Indian embassy in the Netherlands tweeted that they were in touch with the Dutch government.

The Indian embassy in Caracas in Venezuela was also monitoring the situation in Saint Martin and “coordinating the welfare of all Indians living there.”