Death toll from Hurricane Fiona rises to 31 in Puerto Rico

San Juan, October 17 (RHC)-- The Puerto Rican Health Department reported Sunday that the number of deaths directly and indirectly associated with the passage of Hurricane Fiona, which affected the island of Puerto Rico last month, has risen to 31.

According to the report of the health entity, published on its website, of the total number of deaths 20 were men while 84 percent of the deaths correspond to people over 60 years of age.  At the same time, the authorities pointed out that the deaths were reported in 20 Puerto Rican municipalities.  Meanwhile, of the total number of deaths, two were direct, 16 were indirect and 13 remain under investigation.

Six deaths were reported in the Mayagüez region, six in the Ponce region, six in the Bayamón region, seven in the metropolitan region, three in the Arecibo region and three in the Caguas region.  The direct deaths correspond to two men who were victims of the flooding of the La Plata River as a result of the precipitation associated with the meteorological event.

The indirect deaths are related to electrocution, carbon monoxide inhalation, as well as the lack of timely medical attention due to the lack of access to roads due to landslides and falling trees.  The most recent death was reported last Tuesday in the Ponce region (south) and it was a 76-year-old woman who was included among the cases under investigation.

On September 18th, Hurricane Fiona (which by then reached Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, out of a total of 5) hit the Caribbean island causing severe damage, for which the U.S. Government approved a Major Disaster Declaration.