NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana’s death toll from Hurricane Laura has risen to 26, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday.
The latest known Louisiana victim of the Aug. 27 hurricane died Sunday. The state health department, the state fire marshal and the Calcasieu Parish Coroner say the victim was a 49-year-old man from the Stark community who died of smoke inhalation and burns in a Sunday fire.
Officials believe the fire was ignited by a candle being used because of widespread lingering power outages in the wake of the storm. Edwards said, during a live-streamed news conference from Baton Rouge, that more than 137,000 power customers were still without power Tuesday — mostly in southwest Louisiana.
