10th Elderly Victim Dies From Hollywood Nursing Home

HOLLYWOOD, FL — A 10th elderly resident has died from the sweltering Hollywood, Florida, nursing home that lost power during Hurricane Irma.

Ninety-four-year-old Martha Murray died Wednesday, Hollywood police spokeswoman Miranda Grossman told Patch. The ninth victim died on Tuesday more than a week after Hurricane Irma ripped through South Florida.

The facility staff dialed 911 on Sept. 12, three days after Irma hit. By the next morning, rescue officials realized the situation at the center had significantly deteriorated. It had operated for days without air conditioning and the rooms became stiflingly hot.

Eight people died and 145 patients were evacuated from the facility, many on stretchers or in wheelchairs.

Authorities have launched a criminal investigation to figure out what went wrong and who, if anyone, was to blame. (For more information on the Hollywood nursing home deaths and other Aventura-area stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered state health officials and the Department of Elder Affairs to issue emergency rules to "keep Floridians safe in healthcare facilities during emergencies." He said he would "aggressively fight" to codify the requirement into law during the 2018 legislative session.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Photo credit: John McCall/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP