Canada sends additional military support to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian

OTTAWA – The federal government says it’s providing additional emergency military support to areas in the Bahamas that were destroyed by Hurricane Dorian.

Global Affairs Canada says a Canadian Armed Forces’ CC-130J Hercules aircraft was sent Friday to provide airlift support.

The large propeller-diven cargo aircraft will facilitate the deployment of the Jamaican Defence Force into the Bahamas.

A Canadian Disaster Assistance Team was sent to Nassau in the Bahamas earlier to determine how Canada can best help those affected by Hurricane Dorian along with $500,000 from the federal government.

Officials say the death toll has risen to 43 and is likely to increase after the Category 5 storm devastated some Bahamian communities.

Hurricane Dorian is expected to make landfall as a Category 1 storm in Nova Scotia on Saturday evening before moving into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where it is expected to transform into a strong post-tropical storm.