Hurricane Maria Death Toll Rises to 43 in Puerto Rico

The death toll could continue to rise as many of Puerto Rico’s residents struggle without basic necessities.

This Monday, 9 October 2017 photo shows a destroyed vehicle in the village of Coulibistrie, Dominica after water and debris came rushing down the hill. 

(Photo: AP)

The death toll in Puerto Rico attributed to Hurricane Maria has reached 43, an official said on Tuesday, up from the 39 previously reported, as islanders continue to fall victim to infections, bad road conditions and other consequences of the storm.

Ramon Rosario, Secretary of Public Affairs and Public Policy, also told reporters that the island now has 16 percent of electricity service restored, up from 15 percent on Monday.

Maria slammed into the Caribbean island on 20 September as the most powerful hurricane to hit the US territory in nearly 90 years. It knocked out electricity to the whole island and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure.

Also Read: Hurricane Maria No ‘Real Catastrophe’ Like Katrina: Trump

Less than 33 percent of the island's cellphone towers have been restored, according to official data, and it is expected to take months to get the power grid back up.

The death toll could continue to rise as many of Puerto Rico’s 3.4 million residents, particularly in rural areas, struggle without basic necessities or access to hospitals.

Of the four newly reported deaths, one was a person who was operated on for an infection but died, another was killed in a car accident caused by road damage, and a third died when a damaged roof fell on him while he was clearing debris from a road, Rosario said. He did not give details of the fourth death.

Also Read: Category-5 Hurricane Maria Pummels Through Dominica