- Title: Trump pledges support for quake-ravaged Puerto Rico, says governor
- Date: 10th January 2020
- Summary: GUAYANILLA, PUERTO RICO (JANUARY 10, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF U.S. SENATOR RICK SCOTT, PUERTO RICO GOVERNOR WANDA VAZQUEZ AND OTHER OFFICIALS IN GOLF CART SETTING OFF TO TOUR POWER PLANT DAMAGED BY EARTHQUAKE VIEW OF MEDIA, OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES IN FRONT OF POWER PANT MEDIA GATHERED VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF POWER PLANT GOLF CARTS CARRYING OFFICIALS DRIVING INTO VICINITY OF
- Embargoed: 24th January 2020 23:29
- Keywords: Governord Wanda Vazquez Puerto Rico Rick Scott Senator
- Location: GUAYANILLA, PUERTO RICO
- City: GUAYANILLA, PUERTO RICO
- Country: Puerto Rico
- Reuters ID: LVA001BVLCUVB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez and U.S. Senator Rick Scott on Friday (January 10) toured the Costa Sur power plant in the Puerto Rican coastal town of Guayanilla that was damaged after the worst earthquake in over a century knocked out the U.S. territory's biggest generating plant and left nearly all its 3 million residents without electricity.
Vasquez and Scott addressed reporters outside the power plant after speaking to U.S. President Donald Trump by telephone, who, they said, had pledged his support for Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the quake.
"I just had a personal call with President Donald Trump who expressed his support for Puerto Rico and we also expressed to him our people's support for rapid action," Vasquez told reporters.
In the aftermath of Tuesday's earthquake, only half of the Caribbean island had power, but Governor Vasquez said she expected power to be restored to the island by Monday (January 13).
Puerto Rico suffered lengthy power outages following back-to-back hurricanes that devastated the territory in 2017.
For his part, Senator Scott said all federal resources would be made available to Puerto Rico in the relief effort.
"I will work my tail off to make sure all the federal resources that can be available will be available. I've been talking to FEMA, to the Department of Transportation, to the White House, to Office of Budget... Management Budget, and I will keep doing whatever I can to be helpful," he said.
"I feel so sorry for the families of Puerto Rico but I know ... I've talked to President Trump about this week and we just finished talking to him, he is committed to making sure that all the federal resources are there," he added.
Tuesday's 6.4 magnitude quake and 5.6 aftershock killed at least one person and destroyed or damaged around 300 homes in the south of the island.
The earthquake added to Puerto Rico's woes as it continues to recover from Hurricanes Maria and Irma, which killed nearly 3,000 people in 2017, and it goes through a bankruptcy process.
Later on Friday, a 5.4 aftershock hit Puerto Rico's southern coast.
(Production: Ricardo Ortiz, Omar Younis) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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