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Puerto Rico hurricane death toll to be recounted as official low figures challenged

December 18, 2017 at 16:44
The governor of Puerto Rico has ordered a recount of all deaths since Hurricane Maria, after accusations that the government under-counted the storm-related deaths, which were estimated to be ten times the official count of 64.
‘We always expected that the number of hurricane-related deaths would increase as we received more factual information - not hearsay - and this review will ensure we are correctly counting everybody,” Governor Ricardo Rossello said in a statement on Monday.
Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm nearly three months ago with winds of up to 154 mph (248 kph), causing up to an estimated $95 billion in damage. The hurricane took out the island’s electricity supply, leaving 3.4 million people without power and limiting access to clean drinking water, food and medical care. The official death toll was 64.

Critics such as the New York Times and the Center for Investigative Journalism claimed authorities have seriously undercounted storm-related deaths.

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