Following the death of eight people in a Nursing Home in Florida, more than 100 people were evacuated to nearby hospitals on Wednesday. CNN reported in an article titled, "Investigations underway after Florida nursing home deaths," that residents were suffering from intense heat as Hurricane Irma cut the Power Supply to most areas of Florida.
Hurricane Irma cut power to more than nine million residents in Florida which endangered many people and patients in care facilities. It may have moved on from Florida, but lingering danger caused by the hurricane, including carbon monoxide poisoning and heat-related incidents caused by a lack of air conditioning, remain in the Sunshine State, as millions wait for power to be restored.
Caused of deaths
While the cause of death of eight people was not immediately known, the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills evacuated all its residents to nearby hospitals because of the cooling problem. Most of the deaths reported were treated for respiratory distress, dehydration, and heat-related issues, officials said. Their ages ranged from 71 to 99 years old, according to the Hollywood Police Department.
Thorough investigations following the 'inexcusable' death of 8 people
Officials requested a thorough investigation at the rehabilitation facility in Florida following the death of eight people after they were left with no air condition. An initial investigation indicated that the rehabilitation facility left their residents with no air conditioning during the blazing heat in Florida.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson called this incident as "inexcusable" as no one cared to call 911 immediately to address the problem. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Rick Scott called the situation "unfathomable," promising to "aggressively demand answers on how this tragic event took place."
The investigation revealed that the nursing home did not lose its power due to Hurricane Irma but the transformer which supplies power to their air conditioning units broke down.
The facility said that they have already contacted Florida Power & Light regarding the issue and continued to follow up with the power company as to when it will be fixed. Also, one of their employees said that they set up cooling fans to ease the heat in their facility and they continually checked the patients to ensure their safety.
Hollywood police and officials already launched a criminal investigation regarding this issue. State officials closed down the rehabilitation facility on Wednesday night and barred it from admitting new patients.
