Hurricane Melissa death toll expected to climb higher

 

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says the authorities are expected to discover more dead and wounded people this week in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

 

The government has announced that the authorities have so far discovered 28 bodies following the violent storm. 

 

But speaking with Radio Jamaica News, Dr. Tufton says the death toll will rise this week based on the number of uncollected bodies and parishes in western Jamaica.

 

"I suspect it will go up based on what we have been hearing. Whenever a fatality or a notification is given to us by persons from communities, we normally work with the JDF who does the search and rescue, and to the extent that those persons are identified, and provisions are made to take them out. The reality of the injured and severely injured is that in some of these off-main road communities, access is very, very difficult. And so I wouldn't be surprised that we discover more. I would prefer not to, but we go as long as we are notified and we take whatever precaution that we need to," he admitted. 

 

Dr. Tufton noted that most of the victims were found in Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth.