New study places Puerto Rico death toll from Hurricane Maria at more than 4,600 — 70 times higher than official count
More than 4,645 people were killed as a result of the storm last September, scientists with the Harvard
The authors of the study admit that even their numbers may be low, saying the body count could be as high as 5,000.
The official government death toll has stood at just 64 since the storm caused catastrophic damage to its infrastructure, including knocking out the entire power grid.
"Our results indicate that the official count of 64 is a substantial underestimate of the true burden of mortality after Hurricane Maria," the authors wrote.
Only a 1900 tropical cyclone in
The terrorist attacks on 9/11, by comparison, killed 2,996 people.
Hurricane Maria barreled into
However, more then eight months later, Puero Rico still suffers from a lack of running water, electricity and general services -- deficiencies that may have increased the storm's death toll.
"If these estimates are accurate, they would mean Maria's devastation ranks among the most deadly disasters in
"By obscuring this, many were left to believe the
Calculating the total number of dead in the wake of a natural disaster can be difficult, the researchers said.
Every disaster-related death must be confirmed by the island medical examiner's office, which requires that bodies be transported to
The official death estimate has repeatedly been questioned by locals and experts, many of them blasting officials for their lack of transparency.
The island's medical examiner did not immediately respond to calls or emails left for comment, but
"Both studies will help us better prepare for future natural disasters and prevent lives from being lost," Mercader said.
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