By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A DAY after Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell said 1,208 are still unaccounted for following Hurricane Dorian, National Security Minister Marvin Dames clarified that police have reports of just 282 people still being missing.

Two hundred and fifty-two of them are from Abaco and 20 from Grand Bahama, he said.

During his speech in the House of Assembly on Wednesday night, Mr Campbell said 1,003 people were missing in Abaco and 205 in Grand Bahama.

The Ministry of Social Services moved to publish an advertisement in The Tribune today featuring the names of 1,208 missing people. However, the ministry pulled the ad yesterday evening amid confusion about the correct figures.

Mr Dames stressed that official missing persons lists must come from the police in part because if there is a need to involve the Coroner’s Court to declare someone dead; police represent the government at such proceedings.

On September 11, NEMA said 2,500 were reported missing following the storm. That dropped to 1,300 on September 12. During his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the number of people still missing was about 600. Earlier this month, NEMA said 424 people were still missing.