Maui’s missing list shrinks as survivors come forward

Maui’s missing persons list has been reduced by more than 100 people after dozens of wildfire survivors came forward to tell authorities they were safe.

Authorities released the list of 388 missing people earlier this week.

“We are very grateful for the people who reached out to us by phone or email,” Steven Merrill, FBI Special Agent in Charge Honolulu, said at a news conference.

“As we remove someone from a list, this has allowed us to dedicate more resources to those who are still on the list,” Merrill added.

The FBI is working to review the information provided by the people who came forward and update the list.

Survivors initially listed as missing said they were “confused” and “frustrated” to learn they were on it.

More than 1,000 people were thought to be missing after the Maui wildfire, but that number has dropped dramatically. REUTERS
The fires ripped through Maui on August 8.The Maui fire ripped through the town of Lahaina on Aug. 8, killing 115 people.AP

Maui County released the updated list with 388 names Thursday, a sharp decrease from earlier in the week, when the number of missing was still over 1,000.

“We are releasing this list of names today because we know it will help with the investigation,” Police Chief John Pelletier said in a statement at the time.

“This is not an easy thing to do, but we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible,” Pelletier continued.

Previous list of missing in Maui after the forest fire.  Listed names and numbers.Maui County released a list of 388 names of people believed to be missing, but many have since said they are safe. maui county

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All single-family homes had been searched as of Tuesday, The Post reported, with attention turning to multi-story buildings, both residential and commercial.

The death toll from the Maui wildfire, the worst to hit the United States in a century, remains at 115 and is likely to rise, officials warn.

with postal wires

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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