Hurricane Ian: residents return to battered homes as death toll rises

Officially, 89 people in Florida died from Hurricane Ian, but an unofficial tally compiled by media outlets has surpassed 120. Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Residents of south-west Florida were on Thursday returning for a first look at damage wreaked on their homes by Hurricane Ian, as the storm’s death toll continued to rise and details emerged about the victims.

Inhabitants of Sanibel, Captiva and Pine Island were among the first to get a glimpse after authorities still searching for survivors from the 28 September storm gave the go-ahead for civilians to return.