Officials said at least 15 divers died when the yacht capsized after seeking shelter in a small bay. Three divers and five crew members were rescued and five others were missing. Iris wreaked havoc through the resort district of Stann Creek and the agricultural district of Toledo, said Vaughan Gill, a spokesman for the prime minister. Up to 95 percent of the banana crop was devastated, Gill said. While sugar remains Belize's chief crop, the banana industry is the country's largest employer.
Tourism is also an important economic sector.
Although there were no other deaths reported and only a few minor injuries, at least 13,000 people were homeless after Iris destroyed roofs and smashed homes. More than 80 villages were affected, but most residents were safe because they had moved into shelters, Gill said. Belizean rescue officials sent tents as temporary shelters, but weren't able to reach many areas that remained inaccessible Tuesday, Gill said. Neighboring Honduras promised to send helicopters to ferry the tents into the isolated areas on Wednesday, he said. The eye of the hurricane passed through the small coastal towns of Independence and Monkey River Town, ripping down power lines, cutting off telephone service and water and isolating some villages.