Puerto Rico raises death toll from storm Maria to 2,975

Puerto Rico has raised the official death toll from Hurricane Maria to 2,975 people—the earlier figure was 64. The dramatic rise in the figure comes a year after the devastating storm struck the island.

The storm had left the island completely marooned for weeks as powerlines were down and telecommunication was completely cut off. It had become impossible for the people on the island to contact loved ones and get help for weeks after the storm.

This is the first official change to the death toll following efforts by journalists, activists and academics to get the government to officially acknowledge the scale of devastation.

“We never anticipated a scenario of zero communication, zero energy, zero highway access,” Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló, told reporters. “I think the lesson is to anticipate the worst.” “Yes, I made mistakes,” Rosselló said. “Yes, in hindsight, things could have been handled differently.”

The authorities have faced criticism for underreporting the toll of Maria - the most powerful storm to hit the region in nearly 90 years. Some experts had claimed that the death toll actually neared 4,600. The government's initial number was for those killed directly by the hurricane, crushed by collapsing buildings, drowned or hit by flying debris.

But the new report also counted those who died in the six months following the storm as a result of poor healthcare provision and a lack of electricity and clean water. Repeated power cuts also led to an increased number of deaths from diabetes and sepsis.

The latest findings - accepted by the island's authorities - were made in a report by experts from George Washington University, which the governor commissioned.

A year after the hurricane, residents are still struggling and many have fled the island for the mainland. About 8 per cent of the total 3.3 million people have left the island.