The death toll in Haiti as a result of Hurricane Matthew has soared to 283, the government says.

Some 50 people were reported to have died in the southern town of Roche-a-Bateau alone, reports the BBC.

The peninsula's main city, Jeremie, saw 80 percent of its buildings levelled. In Sud province 30,000 homes were destroyed.

The hurricane has again been upgraded to a Category Four storm, the second highest hurricane classification, as it heads for the US state of Florida.

BDST: 0850 HRS, OCT 07, 2016
SR