Hurricane Matthew reaches US coast

The number of deaths in Haiti caused by Hurricane Matthew has risen to 877, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing numbers from civil defense and local officials. Tens of thousands of people have been left homeless, as the storm razed homes to the ground. Outbreaks of cholera are also claiming lives. According to a statement from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), cholera cases have been on the rise due to flooding caused by the hurricane and its impact on water and sanitation infrastructure.

Hurricane Matthew, packing top sustained winds of up to 105 miles per hour (170kph), is moving due north toward the South Carolina coast, the US National Hurricane Center reports. The storm surge continues in South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia.

Four people have now died in Florida. A woman in her late 50s died from cardiac arrest in St. Lucie overnight when emergency responders could not get to her due to strong winds, St. Lucie Fire Department officials said.

Later Thursday night, an unconscious 82-year-old man with breathing difficulties was brought to the hospital, where he was later declared dead.

On Friday afternoon,a woman in her 60s died when a tree fell on her as she went outside to feed her animals, according to Volusia County Emergency Management.

Around 3pm local time, a woman who was riding out the storm in a camper trailer died "when a tree fell due to high winds." A man who was also in the trailer escaped with only minor injuries, Putnam County officials said in a statement.