16-8-2023 (MAUI) The death toll in the devastating Maui wildfires has tragically risen to 101, as confirmed by Hawaii Governor Josh Green in a recent update to CNN on Tuesday. This grim escalation in the death toll comes just a week after the wildfire ignited and began sweeping through various parts of the island.
The governor’s update, which marked an increase from the previously reported toll of 99, arrived on a day when authorities were able to identify only four of the deceased. In consideration of the families involved, officials intend to release the names once the relatives have been duly notified, as announced by Maui County officials on Tuesday.
As of Tuesday, authorities had scoured roughly a third of the search area. While the county indicated the figure as 32%, the governor noted it as 27%. Given the extensive areas yet to be combed through, Governor Green expressed concerns that the death toll might escalate significantly.
“Over the course of the next several weeks, we’ll be able to confirm who passed away. But it’s gonna be very difficult going,” Governor Green shared in an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday. Many of the fatalities are believed to have occurred along a highway near the ocean in western Maui, he added.
“It’s unclear how many people are unaccounted for, in part because of communication gaps,” Governor Green stated on Monday, noting the challenges posed by the loss of communication devices during the chaotic evacuation process. “A lot of people had to run and left all they had behind. They don’t have their phones – the phones are incinerated,” he explained.
In response to the evolving crisis, a portable morgue unit has been dispatched to Hawaii. The unit will aid authorities in the identification and processing of remains, equipped with essential tools such as examination tables, X-ray units, and laboratory equipment. Jonathan Greene, deputy assistant secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, affirmed this during an announcement on Tuesday.
Looking ahead, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier expressed his hope that searchers would have covered 85% to 90% of the affected area by the upcoming weekend. He highlighted the collective efforts of the teams involved, stating, “We started with one dog. We are at 20. We can only move as fast as we can, but we got the right amount of workers and teams doing it.”
The impact of the wildfire has been devastating, transforming what were once homes, businesses, and historical landmarks into ruins. The ferocious wildfire, driven by strong winds, began its erratic spread on August 8, engulfing homes, leading to frantic evacuations, and likely displacing thousands of individuals, particularly in the Lahaina area of western Maui.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Governor Green revealed that there were 185 people contributing to the search-and-recovery teams. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell underscored the emotional toll faced by the responders, saying, “Nothing can prepare you for what I saw during my time here, and nothing can prepare them for the emotional toll of the impact that this severe event has taken on them,” during a press briefing on Monday.
These tragic wildfires on Maui stand as the deadliest the United States has experienced in over a century, as per the National Fire Protection Association.
