'We are trying to get him out alive but the situation is complex because of the risk of further collapses.'

The smoke became too thick for fire crews to penetrate, leaving father-of-two Anthony Barnes to perish alongside a hotel worker.

People walk through Santa Cruz,Jamaica,after Hurricane Melissa passed (Picture: AP) Hurricane Melissa lashed through Jamaica turning it into a ‘disaster area’,leaving a trail of destruction behind

'Be ready to ride this out for several days,' the US National Hurricane Centre said.

The British man, 36, is thought to have drowned when his surfboard snapped at Frankston Beach in Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday.