The survivors of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, escaped desolation and death, began evacuating on Friday as relief efforts were ramping up in the devastated archipelago, where the human toll has risen to 43.
Dorian, who hit the Bahamas in category 5, the highest, has killed 43, according to a new count announced by Erica Wells Cox, spokesman for Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, on the American channel NBC News. The previous balance sheet reported 30 deaths. "It is expected that this number will increase significantly," she warned in the wake.
After a crossing of more than seven hours, over 260 residents of Abaco Island, evacuated by a government-chartered ferry, arrived at Nassau Harbor after dark on Friday. A second ferry was to arrive in the night.
Exhausted survivors
Melanie Lowe, who came with her four children and her puppy, says that her house has been half-destroyed. "I'm just happy that we can have a good night's sleep, a shower and a healthy meal," she says. Before being evacuated, "we were 16 in a three-room, to do our best, to use rainwater to wash ourselves, to eat some frozen dishes". Melanie has found overnight accommodation in Nassau and will not go to the accommodation center set up by the government.
In this gym were close to 200 evacuees. Diane Forbes was waiting to see her two sons, Patrick (24 years old) and DeAngelo (28), she has not heard from since Tuesday. "They said they were hungry, and the smell of bodies, dead, really started to affect them ... I'm waiting, I just want to know if my sons are on board (the ferry) and they're fine, I will not move until they close the doors tonight and I'll be back tomorrow, "she said.