Death by Hurricane Maria not 64, but 5000

san juan - The hurricane Maria probably killed a lot more people in Puerto Rico than previously thought. The official death toll stands at 64, but Harvard research shows that probably around 5000 people died.

The hurricane caused havoc last year in Puerto Rico, an autonomous area within the United States. Parts of the island were without electricity for months.

Researchers mapped the death toll on the basis of a survey of nearly 3,300 households. They concluded that in a period of more than three months 4645 people died more than would have been expected under normal circumstances. Health care problems caused about a third of those deaths. For example, some elderly and dialysis patients were deprived of care because of the disaster.

The researchers published their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Invalid email address. Please fill in again.

Unsubscribe with 1 click