A group of angry residents broke into a warehouse that was housing unused supplies meant to aid the victims impacted when Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017. Locals discovered the supplies, which included food, diapers, and baby formula after a series of earthquakes rocked the island over the past couple of weeks.
Local officials were livid that the supplies had been sitting for nearly three years while people suffered and struggled following Hurricane Maria.
āThis is outrageous,ā Ponce MayorĀ MarĆa MelĆ©ndezĀ said. āEveryone knows what us mayors went through after Hurricane Maria to try and get help to our cities and how weāve worked these weeks to provide basic supplies to people affected by earthquakes. Those involved owe us an explanation.ā
Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez promised a swift investigation into what happened and firedĀ Carlos Acevedo, the director of Puerto Ricoās emergency management agency.
āThere are thousands of people who have made sacrifices to bring help to the south, and it is unforgivable that resources have been kept in a warehouse,ā she said in a statement.
Photo: Getty Images