Nearly 400 people remain unaccounted for following the Maui wildfires, according to the FBI — a dramatic change from the roughly 1,100 officials said were believed to be missing days ago.
County of Maui officials released a list of 388 names Thursday, saying it was “verified” by the FBI as long as it received the first and last names of the unknown person, as well as a verified contact number for the person who reported the missing individual.
The list does not include identifying information such as age or gender.
“We are releasing this list of names today because we know it will help the investigation,” said Police Chief John Pelletier.
“We also know that when the names come out, it can and will cause pain for the people listed. This is not an easy thing to do, but we want to make sure that we do everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible.”
Tim Laborte holds up a “missing” flyer featuring a photo of his stepfather, Joseph Lara, who has been missing since the fire on August 8.REUTERS
The new list is a far cry from just two days ago, when about 1,100 people were said to be unaccounted for — a number that has changed since the devastating Aug. 8 fire that ravaged Lahaina.
District officials said, however, that as of late Thursday, an additional 1,732 previously unknown people had been found safe.
Authorities still acknowledge, however, that the official list may not account for all those still missing.
Those who believe a loved one or friend remains unaccounted for are encouraged to report them to the Maui Police Department.
The new list includes 388 names, but no ages or other identifying information.County of Maui
Earlier this week, Pelletier acknowledged that it was challenging to compile the official list because some people submitted only partial names, while others were duplicated.
The death toll — 115 people — in the worst wildfire in US history in more than a century may also rise, officials have warned repeatedly.
Hundreds of people are unaccounted for after a deadly wildfire ravaged west Maui.AP
More than two weeks later, experts are still scouring the burned area to find the bodies of those who couldn’t escape in time.
The affected area is about 85% cleared, but the search will take several more weeks, Army Col. David Fielder, deputy commander of the joint task force responding to the wildfire, said Friday.
“We did not recover all the bodies. We were picking up the ash and some of it collapsed,” explained Pelletier.
Members of the Maui Fire Department and Ocean Safety use snorkeling gear to conduct a grid search along Lahaina’s coastline for victims of the devastating wildfires. NYPJ for the New York Post
The family aid center has also only collected DNA from 104 families so far, which will slow down the already difficult identification process.
The number of people coming forward to submit DNA is “significantly lower” than comparable disasters, Maui Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin said Wednesday.
Authorities are working to prepare residents for the possibility that many of the missing individuals will never be recovered — and they will eventually be presumed dead, HawaiiNewsNow reports.
People pray after placing yellow ribbons on a memorial for victims of the Lahaina wildfires. James Keivom
The updated tentative missing list also comes amid news that Maui emergency officials were at a conference in Waikiki on the day of the devastating fire.
One of those present was Maui County Emergency Management Agency director Herman Andaya.
Andaya resigned last week, citing “health reasons,” after serious backlash over Lahaina fire management and his qualifications for the position.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
