A recent Harvard study that revealed Hurricane Maria's death toll in Puerto Rico were nearly 70 times higher than government's official toll is garnering overwhelming support of Puerto Ricans, especially family members of the deceased.
RELATED:
Puerto Rico Governor Says Recovery In Full Swing, Rejects Death Toll Purported by CNN
CBS News’ David Begnaud who reported from the ground after the Harvard study showed the sizeable wide margin of error, spoke to the family members of those who died.
Begnaud also spoke with the Public Safety Director Hector Pesquera, who in the past has overseen the investigation into storm deaths. Begnaud pointed out that some people are questioning whether the government is trying to cover up the number of deaths.
Mildred Castro's mother, Adelaida Machuca died the day before her 84th birthday. She was dependent on supplemental oxygen and insulin. Castro says she was receiving hospice care at home but was told by her nurses they ran out of oxygen. Machuca went to a hospital and died two months later.
"Do you believe the storm accelerated her death?" Begnaud asked her. "Yes, because in my house, in my home, she was stable and she was doing fine," Castro responded, the CNN reported.
This isn't the first time that Puerto Rico's official death toll has become a subject of speculation as nearly a month after the hurricane struck, CNN and a U.S. university claimed that almost 550 people had died then whereas the government's account of death toll remained 55, as the Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rossello Nevares remained adamant as he announced that he would not change the official figures.