Official says Hurricane Katrina Death Toll Likely in the Thousands
04 September 2005
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt says the death toll from Hurricane Katrina will likely be in the thousands.
Mr. Leavitt, who gave the estimate in an CNN television interview, is the first Bush administration official to acknowledge the death toll from Katrina might be that high.
In New Orleans, rescue teams are working to evacuate the remaining storm survivors before starting the gruesome task of collecting the many dead bodies throughout the city.
Officials say 42,000 people were evacuated on Saturday, including everyone who had gathered at New Orleans' football stadium and convention center.
But thousands of people remain trapped in buildings surrounded by floodwaters, six days after Katrina. Meanwhile, corpses have been sighted on porches, sidewalks and flooded streets, sparking fears of disease.
On Saturday, President Bush acknowledged that many hurricane survivors were not getting the help they need - a situation he called "unacceptable."
The president has dispatched top officials including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to New Orleans to directly oversee rescue and relief efforts. Mr. Bush will return to New Orleans on Monday - his second visit there in four days.
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