Washington, 3 October 2024 (dpa/MIA) - US President Joe Biden is sending up to 1,000 soldiers to help in areas hit by Hurricane Helene, the White House said on Wednesday.

The soldiers, stationed in North Carolina, are to help provide food, water and other essential goods in the affected region, the statement said.

At least 180 people have died, according to US broadcaster CNN.

Meanwhile more than 1 million people remain without power in the south-eastern United States after the trail of devastation left by the hurricane across six states last week.

Almost 500,000 in South Carolina alone are without electricity, data from the PowerOutage website showed.

Authorities are responding to the catastrophic damage, with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Tuesday temporarily suspending the state's petrol tax by executive order to relieve communities left dependent on fuel to power their homes.

Biden is due to visit affected areas in the Carolinas on Wednesday, while Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate in November's presidential election, is to visit the crucial battleground state of Georgia.

Harris' Republican rival Donald Trump already visited parts of Georgia on Monday.

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