One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent years is closing in on Haiti, bringing winds, rains and storm surges.
Hurricane Matthew, a Category Four storm, is forecast to hit the western tip of Haiti early on Tuesday.
But what the US National Hurricane Center called "life-threatening" conditions are already bearing down.
Interim Haitian President Jocelerme Privert said a number of people had been killed.
"We've already seen deaths. People who were out at sea. There are people who are missing. They are people who didn't respect the alerts. They've lost their lives," he said.
The fast-approaching Matthew could bring up to 40in (102cm) of rain and winds of 145mph (230km/h), potentially triggering mudslides and flash floods.
Its centre is forecast to hit Haiti's south-western tip around dawn.
Haiti is one of the world's poorest countries and many residents live in areas prone to flooding.
"We are looking at a dangerous hurricane that is heading into the vicinity of western Haiti and eastern Cuba,'' said Richard Pasch, a specialist with the US National Hurricane Center.
"People who are impacted by things like flooding and mudslides hopefully would get out and relocate because that's where we have seen loss of life in the past.''
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