Yonkers man mourns grandmother as Hurricane Maria death toll rises

<p>The official death toll from Hurricane Maria still stands at 64, but a Harvard study said last week that the number is much higher.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jun 6, 2018, 12:16 AM

Updated 2,170 days ago

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The official death toll from Hurricane Maria still stands at 64, but a Harvard study found last week that the number could be much higher.
It estimates more than 4,600 people died.
Among the dead is Josefina Maldonado, a 99-year-old who suffered respiratory problems and couldn't get the medical care she needed after the storm. Her grandson, Javier Diaz, is from Yonkers.
Diaz says it's baffling that some don't think the death toll is still rising.
"They don't have the fundamental basic things they need to survive," he says.
Diaz says his grandmother did not have a proper burial. He also lost two close family friends in the days following the storm.
In San Juan, Puerto Ricans have placed hundreds of shoes outside of the capital building as a memorial for those who died.


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