Ida blamed for several nursing home resident deaths

Louisiana health officials say four nursing home residents died and that three of the deaths are connected to Hurricane Ida

Hurricane Ida Louisiana (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Four nursing home residents died after Hurricane Ida, but full details of their deaths are unknown because state health inspectors said Thursday that they were turned away from examining conditions at the facility to which they had been evacuated.

Three of the deaths are considered storm-related, the Louisiana Department of Health said in a news release.

The agency said its investigators were “expelled” from the private property on Tuesday, preventing them from fully investigating.

“We have significant concerns about conditions in this facility," the department said, adding that it is working to find safe places for all 843 residents, beginning with the most vulnerable.

The nursing home residents were evacuated from seven facilities around Louisiana.

Few other details were immediately available.