SAN JUAN: The governor of Puerto Rico says the official death toll from Hurricane Maria has been increased to 34 from 16.
Governor Ricardo Rossello also says he believes the hurricane caused USD 90 billion in damage across the island. The governor made the announcement at a news conference following US President Donald Trump's short visit to the US territory to assess the storm's impact.
During his stop, Trump congratulated Puerto Ricans for avoiding a high death toll of "a real catastrophe like Katrina." As many as 1,800 people died in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina breached levees protecting New Orleans.