At least 10 people have died in New York City due to hurricane Sandy, while 80 homes have been destroyed by a fire in the New York borough of Queens sparked by the storm, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday, reported dpa.
The deaths include people who had been crushed by falling trees or electrocuted by downed powerlines, and Bloomberg said he expected that number to rise.
"Make no mistake about it, this was a devastating storm, perhaps the worst we have seen for quite some time," he told a press conference.
Bloomberg said the fire at Breezy Point in Queens "looked like a forest fire." No deaths had yet been reported due to the fire, but he offered condolences to families who lost their properties.