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| Hurricane Maria 'killed 4,600 in Puerto Rico' | Hurricane Maria 'killed 4,600 in Puerto Rico' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hurricane Maria killed more than 4,600 people in Puerto Rico, 70 times the official toll, according to estimates in a Harvard University study. | Hurricane Maria killed more than 4,600 people in Puerto Rico, 70 times the official toll, according to estimates in a Harvard University study. |
| A third of deaths after September's hurricane were due to interruptions in medical care caused by power cuts and broken road links, researchers say. | A third of deaths after September's hurricane were due to interruptions in medical care caused by power cuts and broken road links, researchers say. |
| The Puerto Rico government said it "always expected the number to be higher than what was previously reported". | |
| The official death toll stands at 64. | |
| But experts say an accurate count was complicated by the widespread devastation wreaked by the storm. | But experts say an accurate count was complicated by the widespread devastation wreaked by the storm. |
| Carlos Mercader from Puerto Rico's Federal Affairs Administration said he welcomed the Harvard survey. | |
| "The magnitude of this tragic disaster caused by Hurricane Maria resulted in many fatalities," he said. | |
| He added that the island's authorities had also commissioned George Washington University to study the number of deaths and these findings would be released soon. | |
| "Both studies will help us better prepare for future natural disasters and prevent lives from being lost," he said. | |
| The Harvard researchers said interviews conducted in Puerto Rico suggested a 60% increase in mortality in the three months after the storm. | |
| They contacted more than 3,000 randomly selected households between January and March this year and asked about displacement, infrastructure loss and causes of death. | |
| They then compared their results with the official mortality rates for the same period in 2016, more than a year before the hurricane struck the island. | They then compared their results with the official mortality rates for the same period in 2016, more than a year before the hurricane struck the island. |
| The researchers said that interrupted medical care was the "primary cause of sustained high mortality rates in the months after the hurricane". | The researchers said that interrupted medical care was the "primary cause of sustained high mortality rates in the months after the hurricane". |
| Disruption to health care was a "growing contributor to both morbidity and mortality" in natural disasters, they said, because growing numbers of patients had chronic diseases and used sophisticated equipment that relied on electricity. | Disruption to health care was a "growing contributor to both morbidity and mortality" in natural disasters, they said, because growing numbers of patients had chronic diseases and used sophisticated equipment that relied on electricity. |
| Hurricane Maria caused the largest blackout in US history, according to research consultancy the Rhodium Group. | Hurricane Maria caused the largest blackout in US history, according to research consultancy the Rhodium Group. |
| There have also been repeated power cuts since then, including an island-wide one in April, nearly seven months after the hurricane. | There have also been repeated power cuts since then, including an island-wide one in April, nearly seven months after the hurricane. |
| Overall, Hurricane Maria caused losses of $90bn (£68bn), the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said. | Overall, Hurricane Maria caused losses of $90bn (£68bn), the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said. |
| The Caribbean island is home to 3.4 million US citizens. | The Caribbean island is home to 3.4 million US citizens. |