The death toll is rising as food and water are in short supply in the Bahamas. Hundreds of people have fled and thousands more are waiting to leave the humanitarian crisis left behind by Hurricane Dorian.
Bahamians have begun leaving the islands hardest hit by Hurricane Dorian's advance over two days last week.
Of the 400,000 people who populate the Bahamas, at least 70,000 are in immediate need of humanitarian assistance after their homes were destroyed, writes the UN on its news page.
Many dead bodies
Abaco Island is being shuttled by planes, helicopters and boats to take people to safety. The island is largely uninhabitable with growing mountains of bodies, a lack of water, food and electricity.
"People have to leave here, there are too many dead bodies here. It's not a safe place here, everything is destroyed," 75-year-old Firstina Swain told Reuters.
The death toll rose to 43 on Friday, but is expected to rise further, according to local authorities. Thousands of people are still missing.
Cruise ships help
Already on Friday, thousands of people gathered at the ports of Great Abaco and Grand Bahama, two of the worst-hit islands, to get help getting out.
There are also reports that several cruise ships are helping with deliveries to and evacuations from several of the hardest-hit islands, writes CNN.
The frustration on the ground is great and the situation is described by many as chaotic.
– Only animals can live here, Gee Rolle sums up the situation for AP while he waits for the evacuation boat.
Criticism of the authorities
While Prime Minister Hubert Minnis urged calm and promised more transportation, criticism is growing.
Many believe that the authorities have not done enough, fast enough.
As early as Friday, private boats and planes were reportedly seen helping with the evacuation while authorities awaited the arrival of other means of transport.
According to the Bahamas Ministry of Health, both helicopters and boats are expected to be delayed due to flooding, BBC reports.
Has been downgraded
During the intense days that Dorian swept over the Bahamas, wind speeds of almost 300 kilometers per hour were measured and some parts received almost 90 centimeters of rain.
As the hurricane has now moved further up the east coast of North America towards Canada, it has been downgraded to category one.
Wind speeds on Saturday were up to 140 kilometers per hour and the amount of rain is also said to have slowed down.
Source: svt.se
