Cholera, Mass Graves: Haiti Toll Reaches 1,000 in Hurricane Matthew Aftermath

Local Editor

Haitian authorities resorted to burying the dead in mass graves in the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Matthew, which killed at least 1,000 people on the island, Reuters reports. Cholera outbreaks had contributed to the dire situation.

The small Caribbean nation, which shares an island with Dominican Republic, had been struggling to deal with the aftermath of the powerful storm that uprooted trees and destroyed houses.

Hundreds of people were killed in structure collapse and flooding, with winds blowing at up to 230 kilometers per hour [140 miles per hour].

A tally of deaths reported by mayors from 15 of 18 municipalities in Sud Department on the south side of the peninsula showed 386 people there. In the rest of the country, 92 people were killed, the same tally showed.

There was great concern about cholera spreading, and that authorities were focused on getting water, food and medication to the thousands of people living in shelters.

It emerged that at least 13 people had died in an outbreak of cholera in the aftermath of the disaster.

Cholera causes severe diarrhea and can kill within hours if untreated. It is spread through contaminated water and has a short incubation period, which leads to rapid outbreaks.

Haitian authorities had announced a three-day period of mourning amid emergency work trying to contain the damage.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team