QUEEN Elizabeth II of England has asked Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling to convey her sympathies to the Bahamian people for the destruction left behind by Hurricane Matthew.

“As the people of the Bahamas recover from the destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew, please would you convey my sympathy to those whose property or livelihoods have been affected by this terrible storm, and my thanks and appreciation to everyone who is working on the recovery effort,” Queen Elizabeth said in a statement that was disseminated by Bahamas Information Services.

Matthew, a category four storm, barrelled through the Bahamas last week leaving a trail of damage in its wake.

The islands of New Providence, Grand Bahama and Andros received the most damage from the storm.

The hurricane came a year after the southern islands of the Bahamas were devastated by Hurricane Joaquin.

The government estimated that it would cost more than $100m to repair the damage from Joaquin. On Sunday, Prime Minister Perry Christie said the destruction from Matthew would likely cost three to four times more to repair than the 2015 storm.

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