Additional power repair crews to be sent to hurricane-hit Puerto Rico

HOUSTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- An American energy company will send crews to Puerto Rico in January as part of a national effort to repair the island's power grid hit by Hurricane Maria in late September.

Houston-based CenterPoint Energy, a local energy delivery company which runs electricity and gas distribution for the Houston area, will send 68 employees to Puerto Rico for six weeks to help repair the island's grid, local media quoted the company as saying on Wednesday.

The company will deliver trucks and other equipment to the disaster-ridden island later this week, said Ed Scott, director of operation for the company.

The CenterPoint crew is among some 1,500 utility workers from around the country to be dispatched to Puerto Rico. Its arrival will bring the total number of power restoration workers on the island to 5,500.

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, causing at least 48 deaths as well as widespread flooding. Puerto Ricans have been complaining about the U.S. government's insufficient response in disaster relief operations. Enditem