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2,500 People missing in Bahamas as death toll rises to at least 50

11 September 2019 23:07 (UTC +04:00)

At least 50 people are dead and around 2,500 people reported missing after Hurricane Dorian slammed into the Bahamas on August 29 as a Category 5 Hurricane, devastating the archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, APA reports quoting sputniknews.

Following the hurricane, Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said that Dorian left “generational devastation,” especially on the islands of Great Abaco and Grand Bahama. Shocking photos and videos shared online show entire neighborhoods submerged in water and homes reduced to rubble.

Although around 2,500 are reported as missing, some of those people might have evacuated the islands or found refuge in shelters. According to Carl Smith, a spokesperson for the country’s National Emergency Management Agency, the number of missing people is expected to decrease.

"At this point there are approximately 2,500 on the Bahamian government register," Smith said at a press conference Wednesday, BBC reported.

"This list has not yet been checked against government records of who is staying in shelters or who have been evacuated," he added.

Forty-two and eight bodies have been recovered in Great Abaco and Grand Bahama, respectively, according to Anthony Ferguson, commissioner of the Royal Bahamas Police Force. However, the official death count is expected to increase.