Death toll from hurricane ida rises as victims are trapped in illegal basement apartments
The death toll from Hurricane Ida in the northeastern U.S. rose to at least 50 people on Sunday, and many are hopeful that those missing in the floods and Pope Francis will call on those affected by the disaster to be strong. .
New York had 17 confirmed deaths, four in Westchester County and the rest in New York City, where nearly all of the victims were trapped in illegal basement apartments that are among the last remaining affordable options for residents of low income in the area, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
In New Jersey, there were 27 confirmed deaths from storms and four people are still missing, said a spokesman for Gov. Phil Murphy.
Among those missing were two college students last seen in Passaic, New Jersey, on Wednesday when it was reported that the historic Ida flood washed them into the waters of the Passaic River.
A student mass was called Sunday at Seton Hall University in South Orange for Nidhi Rana, a Passaic freshman who was last seen with her friend Ayush Rana, a Montclair State University student, while the water he was running around his car.
“Please join me in keeping Nidhi and Ayush in your prayers for their safe return,” Seton Hall President Joseph Nyre said in a letter to students.
Neither the Passaic Police nor the Fire Department immediately responded to Reuters requests for more information.
Pope Francis offers his condolences
Other northeastern states where storm deaths were reported included Connecticut with at least one dead, Pennsylvania with at least four dead and Maryland with at least one dead.
The Louisiana governor on Saturday increased the number of storm deaths in his Gulf Coast state to 12 people who died after Ida made landfall there on Aug. 29 as a Category 4 hurricane, knocking down trees, power lines and debris with wind gusts that reached 172 miles per hour. (276 kilometers per hour).
Hundreds of thousands of people in the state remained in the dark.
The Grand Classica, a cruise ship that will house 1,500 workers trying to restore power, departed from the port of Palm Beach on Saturday and will arrive in New Orleans on Tuesday under a charter agreement with Entergy Corp., the Bahamas Paradise cruise line. . said.
Pope Francis offered his condolences to the victims of Ida at his Sunday blessing in St. Peter’s Square.
“May the Lord welcome the souls of the dead and give strength to those who suffer this calamity,” said the Pope.
(REUTERS)
