Media from the Bahamas reporting ‘thousands of corpses’ being buried post-Hurricane Dorian

The Bahamas Press, a tabloid on the islands, is reporting “thousands of corpses” are being buried on the Abaco Islands, as authorities and residents continue recovery efforts.
According to their report, “the bodies were scattered all along the corridors of the communities affected by Hurricane Dorian,” with many of the remains being of Haitian nationals who lived there. “According to clinicians,” it continues, “that number in Abaco alone is around 3,000 following the deadly storm.”

That number far exceeds the previously reported number of deaths, initially at 20, then 44, and now 50 reported on Sept. 10.

But, as many on social media are pointing out, The Bahamas Press is a tabloid, so the statements should be viewed with some skepticism.

Still, the Miami Herald has reported that authorities on the islands considered counting bodies “not the priority,” focusing their efforts instead on initial rescue efforts and identifying those found first.

People are sharing news of the death toll rising in the Bahamas, from personal social media accounts and media from reporters like Vic Micolucci of WJXT, who met one man who said “there are at least 1,000 people dead on my island.”

President Donald Trump announced on Monday he would not allow people from the Bahamas to come to the United States, unless they have “totally proper documentation,” according to Newsweek, despite the fact that many of those needing passage have lost all of their documents and possessions.
“Look, the Bahamas had some tremendous problems with people going to the Bahamas that weren’t supposed to be there,” said Trump. “I don’t want to allow people that weren’t supposed to be in the Bahamas to come into the United States, including some very bad people and some very bad gang members and some very, very bad drug dealers.”
State legislators are collaborating to aid recovery efforts from Florida. Rep. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat who has family in the Bahamas, is organizing supply drives from his Broward County district. Jones is advocating for the reversal of new immigration restrictions on Bahamian evacuees.
Rep. Scott Plakon, a Republican and vocal Trump supporter, is working with Air Unlimited to gather supplies.
Central Floridians can contribute to the relief effort by donating and volunteering through a number of organizations.

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This article appears in Sep 4-10, 2019.