HAWAII: At least 1,100 people are still missing two weeks after deadly wildfires ravaged the Hawaiian island of Maui, authorities said Tuesday, with the FBI seeking help from family members in identifying the remains of the dead.
The fires were the deadliest to hit the United States in a century, killing at least 115, according to the latest preliminary death toll.
The tourist town of Lahaina, home to 12,000 people, was all but wiped off the map, and thousands of missing persons appeared on lists maintained by various organizations, including the police, the Red Cross and shelters.
Special Agent Steven Merrill from the FBI told reporters on Tuesday that data is being gathered and will be later verified.
“We’re cross-referencing all the lists so we can determine who is actually still unknown,” Merrill said.
He added that as of Tuesday, the FBI counted 1,100 people missing, with the number likely to rise.
The relatives of the missing persons have been asked to contact and a dedicated hotline has been set up for the aggrieved families.
“We really need the public’s help,” Merrill said, especially in getting more information to verify the details of some of the missing.
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said authorities are refining the data and hope to release a verified list of missing persons “in the coming days.”
FBI agents have also been collecting DNA samples from families of the missing who are unable to travel to Maui, wherever they are in the world.
There have been only 27 identifications made so far as per details of the 115 bodies found. The bodies are unrecognizable and verification takes time in collecting and analysing the data.
Having the DNA of the families of the missing “is a critical step in identifying” the victims, said Julie French, vice president of ANDE, the company responsible for the operations.
“Nearly three-quarters of the remains that have been tested for DNA so far have yielded searchable DNA results,” she said.
But without DNA from relatives to compare this data to, the process is futile.
So far, only 104 DNA samples have been collected from family members of the missing or dead, and authorities have sought to dispel any mistrust of the process.
“DNA profiles are not kept by the FBI” or the police, said Maui County District Attorney Andrew Martin.
“The only purpose it will be used for is to help identify the missing.”
