Matthew death toll rises to 10 in Haiti: Officials

This is caibbean's worst storm nearly in a decade

Hurricane Matthew has left at least 10 dead in Haiti, a toll that may climb as the authorities re-establish contact with regions cut off by the storm, the interior ministry said.

The Caribbean's worst storm in nearly a decade, Matthew pummeled Haiti with heavy rains and devastating winds that caused untold damage to the Americas' poorest nation.

"It's a very partial toll because we are still receiving information we must take the time to confirm," interior ministry spokesman Guillaume Albert Moleon told AFP, adding that two people have been reported missing.

The tally may rise within hours if the authorities manage to regain contact with the department of Grande Anse after more than 18 hours of silence.

"We are very cautious, but can already see the situation seems very concerning," Moleon said, noting that 25 injuries and eight cases of cholera had also been reported.

Initial helicopter observations over the southwestern city of Jeremie found a number of severely damaged houses, major farmland destruction and intense flooding.

Emergency relief operations were hindered after the collapse of a bridge cut off the only road linking Port-au-Prince to the peninsula that makes up southern Haiti.

Overflowing rivers are complicating efforts to bypass the damage.