Logo

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Authorities in Puerto Rico raised the death toll from Hurricane Maria by 3 to 48 on Saturday based on a review of medical records.

The medical examiner concluded that the hurricane was the deciding factor in the three newly disclosed deaths, Secretary of Public Security Hector Pesquera said.

Precise details were not available, but one occurred in the central town of Caguas when a person was unable to get dialysis treatment after the storm knocked out power.

Another happened in nearby Juncos when a person with undisclosed respiratory problems could not get treatment.

The third occurred in the northern city of Carolina when a person suffering a heart attack was also unable to get treatment.

Pesquera said that the medical examiner is still reviewing all deaths that occurred in island hospitals around the time of the storm and the toll could rise further.

“We are reviewing each and every case to see if the storm was a direct or indirect cause,” he said following a news conference in the capital. “I doubt seriously that we will have any direct at this juncture.”

Maria hit the U.S. island territory Sept. 20 as a category 4 hurricane. The government says about 85 percent of the island remains without power.

Gov. Ricardo Rossello says he is pushing for outside aid to restore electricity and his goal is to have it back for half the island by Nov. 15 and for 95 percent by Dec. 31. But he conceded the task of rebuilding the transmission and distribution network is enormous.

“These are aggressive goals,” Rossello told reporters.

Previously, officials had said it could take as long as March to reach that goal.

1 of 27
Remains of a shed scattered over a basketball court after Hurricane Maria near Loiza, Puerto RicoReuters
Buildings damaged by Hurricane Maria in Lares, Puerto RicoReuters
Advertisement
A damaged home among blown-down trees in San Sebastian, Puerto RicoReuters
The contents of a damaged home are visible as recovery efforts continue following Hurricane Maria near the town of Comerio, Puerto Rico.REUTERS
The remains of damaged homes stand next to a cemetery in Morovis, Puerto Rico.REUTERS
Advertisement
A truck attempts to pull another vehicle across a flood-damaged roadway near the village of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.REUTERS
The contents of a damaged home near the town of Comerio, Puerto RicoREUTERS
Residents fill containers with water from a creek near the town of Comerio, Puerto Rico.REUTERS
Advertisement
A landslide-damaged home near Orocovis, Puerto RicoReuters
Reuters
Damaged homes near Ciales, Puerto RicoReuters
Advertisement
A damaged home on the edge of a swollen river near Ciales, Puerto RicoReuters
A bridge shows the effects of a swollen river.REUTERS
The remains of a highway bridge near Ciales, Puerto RicoREUTERS
Advertisement
REUTERS
A flood-damaged bridge near Ciales, Puerto RicoREUTERS
Aluminum roofing twisted and thrown off buildings near San Jose, Puerto RicoREUTERS
Advertisement
Traffic is diverted to avoid a flood-damaged bridge near San Jose, Puerto Rico.Reuters
People inspect the remains of a flood-damaged bridge near the village of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.Reuters
The contents of a damaged home near the town of Comerio, Puerto RicoReuters
Advertisement

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy