According to the FBI, nearly 400 people are still missing following the Maui wildfires, a dramatic change from the roughly 1,100 who authorities said were believed to be missing just days ago.
Maui County officials released the list of 388 names Thursday, saying it was “validated” by the FBI as long as it received the first and last name of the missing person, as well as a verified contact number of the person reporting. that missing individual.
The list does not include identifying information such as ages or genders.
“We are releasing this list of names today because we know it will help with the investigation,” Police Chief John Pelletier said.
“We also know that once those names come out, they can cause pain for people whose loved ones are on the list. 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.”
Tim Laborte holds up “disappeared” flyers with a picture of his stepfather, Joseph Lara, who has been missing since the August 8 fire.REUTERS
The new list is a far cry from just two days ago, when approximately 1,100 people were said to be missing, a number that has been changing since the devastating Aug. 8 fire that tore through Lahaina.
However, county officials said that as of Thursday night, another 1,732 previously missing people had been found safe.
However, authorities still acknowledged that the official list probably does not include all those still missing.
Those who believe a loved one or friend is still missing are encouraged to report it to the Maui Police Department.
The new list includes 388 names, but there is no age or other identifying information. maui county
Earlier in the week, Pelletier admitted that compiling official lists was challenging because some people only submitted partial names, while others were duplicates.
The death toll — 115 people — in the worst wildfire in US history in more than a century is also likely to rise, officials have repeatedly warned.
Hundreds of people are missing after the deadly fire decimated parts of West Maui.AP
More than two weeks later, experts continue to walk the burned ground in search of the remains of those who could not escape in time.
The affected area is about 85% clear, but the search will take several more weeks, Army Col. David Fielder, deputy commander of the joint task force responding to the wildfires, said Friday.
“We are not recovering whole bodies. We are collecting ashes and a part is crumbling”, explained Pelletier.
Members of the Maui Fire Department and Ocean Safety, wearing snorkel gear, conduct a net search along the shoreline off Lahaina looking for victims of the catastrophic wildfire.NYPJ for New York Post
In addition, so far the family assistance center has only collected DNA from 104 families, which will slow down the already arduous identification process.
The number of people coming forward to present DNA is “far lower” than in comparable disasters, Maui District Attorney Andrew Martin said Wednesday.
Authorities are working to prepare residents for the possibility that many missing people will never be recovered and will eventually be left for dead, HawaiiNewsNow reported.
People pray after placing yellow ribbons at a memorial for the victims of the Lahaina wildfire. James Keivom
The updated provisional 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 the attendees was the director of the Maui County Emergency Management Agency, Herman Andaya.
Andaya resigned last week, citing “health reasons,” after a severe backlash to his handling of the Lahaina fire and his qualifications for the job.
with postal wires
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Source: vtt.edu.vn