Hurricane Dorian Update: Death Toll In Bahamas Rises, Trump Expresses Hesitation On Evacuations Efforts

The death toll in the Bahamas continues to rise as relief efforts intensify in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.

Bahamas Health Minister Duane Sands announced on Monday that the official death toll from Dorian had risen to 50. According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, 42 bodies have been found on Abaco, which suffered some of the worst damage from the storm. The other eight bodies have been found in Grand Bahama.

It’s in line with Sands warning on Friday, saying that the final death toll could be “staggering” from Dorian.

“The public needs to prepare for unimaginable information about the death toll and the human suffering,” Sands told local radio on Friday.

Relief efforts have since intensified as rescue workers checked on residents still on the islands while food, clean water, and supplies were sent by the World Health Organization and U.S. Custom and Border Protection. The U.S. Coast Guard has also increased rescue efforts, reporting 205 missing residents found safely on Friday. A cruise ship also ferried 1,100 residents to the U.S. while the damage was assessed.

However, there has been some push back on evacuation efforts from President Trump.

Trump, known for his tough stance on immigration, downplayed the idea of letting victims in the Bahamas into the U.S. His statement came a few hours after acting CBP chief Mark Morgan said it was worth considering.

“We have to be very careful. Everybody needs totally proper documentation because the Bahamas had some tremendous problems with people going to the Bahamas that weren't supposed to be there,” Trump said Monday.

“I don't want to allow people that weren't supposed to be in the Bahamas to come into the United States, including some very bad people and some very bad gang members and some very, very bad drug dealers.”