KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has vowed that there will be an accurate count of the number of Jamaicans killed as a result of Hurricane Melissa, even if it means exhuming bodies.

His comments made in the House of Representatives on Tuesday follow reports that persons in some communities hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa on October 28 have begun burying uncollected bodies.

Specifically, Holness was responding to questions posed by the Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Eastern, Dr Dayton Campbell, about the actual death toll and the process to retrieve bodies.

With the official death toll now 32, Campbell highlighted that a significant majority, 25, were his constituents.

“The accurate account of death is of particular concern to me,” Holness told the House. He acknowledged that while the official death toll is 32, a figure that the Red Cross noted is relatively small considering the ferocious and destructive nature of the Category Five hurricane, “There are deaths, we know of them, but we can’t account as to whether or not they were directly related or indirectly related [to the hurricane].”

“And so they [the authorities] are going through that process, as well as there are deaths that we know of but we haven’t yet recovered the bodies,” he added.

The prime minister acknowledged receiving information that persons have resorted to burying bodies.

“However, just to be clear, we will recover all bodies even if we have to exhume them. And we will go through a process of proper identification and where possible, determination of death. The science is there to do it and we will do it,” he declared.

Holness emphasised that, “We have to account for every Jamaican who lost their life because we have to account to their families as well and we have to get a full understanding of the full impact of the disaster.”

He told Campbell that he was informed that his Westmoreland Eastern constituency had recorded the highest number of deaths so far as a result of the hurricane. He said a forensic team was on the ground doing the relevant checks on the bodies that have been recovered.

“I want to say to Jamaicans that we should prepare our minds that the number of deaths may be more than we are already hearing because we can’t tell you now that we will recover every body right away. It does take some time, especially in communities that are marooned.”

The prime minister said, “It is really unfortunate but it is just the reality of the situation when you’re hit by a Category Five hurricane”.

Campbell had earlier asked the prime minister whether the Government had an accurate count of deaths as a result of the hurricane.

“Because based on my count in my own constituency, in the Darliston division there are 12, in the Leamington division four, Bethel Town division two, and seven in the Whitehouse division, which is giving me 25.”

“Do we believe that the response to retrieve the bodies was appropriate because we’ve had funeral homes that had to come for some and the community members had to bury others in Westmoreland Eastern,” said Campbell.

“So do we believe that the response has been adequate to pick up the bodies?” he reiterated.

— Lynford Simpson