Holness: Bodies may be exhumed to confirm Hurricane Melissa death toll

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has pledged to ensure that every Jamaican who died as a result of Hurricane Melissa is properly accounted for — even if it means exhuming bodies that have already been buried.

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Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Holness said the government is determined to get an accurate death toll following reports that residents in some of the hardest-hit communities have begun burying victims themselves.

“The accurate account of deaths is of particular concern,” Holness told lawmakers. “We know of deaths, but we still haven’t recovered all the bodies. However, to be clear, even if it means exhuming the bodies, we will recover them all. We will also go through the process of proper identification, and where possible, determine the cause of death. The science is there, and we will do this.”

He was responding to questions from Opposition Member of Parliament Dr. Dayton Campbell, who represents Westmoreland Eastern — the parish said to have suffered the greatest loss of life. Campbell reported that of the 32 confirmed deaths so far, 25 were from his constituency.

Campbell questioned whether the response to recover bodies had been adequate, noting that in some areas, “funeral homes came for some, while the community had to bury other members.”

Holness acknowledged the challenges but said the government’s forensic teams are on-site in the affected areas, including Westmoreland, to identify bodies and determine whether deaths were directly or indirectly caused by the Category 5 storm.

He also urged Jamaicans to brace for the possibility that the official death toll could rise. “We must account for each Jamaican who died because we also have to account to the families of those Jamaicans and understand the full impact of this disaster,” he said. “It’s really unfortunate, but it’s just the reality when you get hit by a hurricane of Category Five.”