San Juan, November 11 (RHC)-- Officials in Puerto Rico have acknowledged that nearly 500 more people died this September compared to September of last year. The data further casts doubt on the authorities’ claims that Hurricane Maria killed only 55 people.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico’s capital, San Juan, and other northern cities were plunged back into darkness on Thursday after a main power line failed.

The power line was originally repaired by the tiny Montana-based company Whitefish Energy, whose $300 million contract was canceled amid controversy over Whitefish’s ties to U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and multi-million dollar campaign donors to last year's presidential campaign of Donald Trump.