Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
The soil under these houses in Kintyre, St Andrew, was eroded by the raging waters of the Hope River, which earlier washed away eight houses in the community.

Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

Jamaica has started what is expected to be a slow and costly recovery after Tropical Storm Gustav's destructive swathe across the island Thursday evening into last night.

Yesterday, government officials were expressing fear that Gustav might have claimed several lives and left millions of dollars in damage.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding outlined the preliminary findings yesterday afternoon, even as the tropical storm continued its devastating crawl from Morant Point to Negril.

Gustav is already being blamed for 72 deaths in the region and Golding would not commit to any figure for Jamaica.

But the prime pinister told journalists that the body count could be in the region of 11.

"I'm concerned that there are still a number of persons that are not accounted for. I was told that there was a vehicle which had four passengers and it was swept away while trying to cross a fording.

"We know that there were a number of houses which collapsed along the Hope River and we are still trying to determine how many lives were lost," the Prime Minister told journalists at Jamaica House yesterday.

He confirmed that several houses had been destroyed, roads blocked and other infrastructure damaged.

But the Prime Minister said it would take days to determine the full extent of the damage.

However, Golding noted that two major bridges, the Harbour View bridge in St Andrew and the Westmoreland bridge in St Mary, had been severely damaged.

Golding added that at least 150 houses had been destroyed, 129 roads blocked and almost 4,000 people displaced.

Of the persons displaced, 2,000 were in 100 emergency shelters which had been open up to last night.

Golding also announced that at least two communities had been cut off by the flood waters and a decision could be made to airlift supplies to residents of these areas.

Several communities were without electricity and water last night but the National Water Commission and the Jamaica Public Service Com-pany Limited both announced that the restoration of service could begin by this morning.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com