At least five people have died at a nursing home in Hollywood, Florida, Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief confirmed Wednesday morning.
The deaths may be due to the loss of the home’s air-conditioning after Hurricane Irma struck Sunday, according to CNN affiliate WPLG. The causes of death are still being investigated, Hollywood Police Chief Tomas Sanchez said.
“We are conducting a criminal investigation (and) not ruling anything out at this time,” Sanchez said at a press conference Wednesday.
Three died at the nursing home, and two others died after being transported to Memorial Regional Hospital, Sharief said.
Firefighters have evacuated 115 people from the nursing home, the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills. Others were found in critical condition, some with trouble breathing, said Hollywood spokeswoman Raelin Story.
“There are a number of critical patients,” Story said.
Another 18 patients in an adjacent behavioral health facility are also being evacuated, Story said. As a precautionary measure, police are checking the other 42 nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the city of Hollywood, Sanchez said.
The hospital has set up a hotline, 954-265-3000, so that families of nursing home residents can check to see if their loved ones have been taken there.
There are 683 nursing homes in Florida with over 84,000 beds, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which licenses and regulates these facilities. In addition, there are more than 3,100 assisted living facilities with over 99,000 beds.