850 people still missing after Maui wildfires, says mayor
Hawaii wildfire
A total of 850 people are still missing since the Maui wildfires wreaked havoc and turned the Lahaina resort city into ashes and killed more than 114.
Briefing reporters on Monday (Aug 21) ahead of President Joe Biden’s visit, MauiCounty Mayor Richard Bissen saidthat a missing persons list was created with the help of FBI and local authorities that initially contained more than 2,000 names in the two weeks since the blaze.
“To the tireless work of the FBI and the Maui Police Department, over 1,285 individuals have been located safe,” he said. “We are both saddened and relieved about these numbers as we continue the recovery process.”
Of the 114 dead, Bissen said that only 27 have been identified and 11 families have been notified.
“The number of identified will rise and the number of missing may decrease, but there will be daily fluctuations in the numbers as family members are added and removed from the lists,” he said.
'Saddened and relieved of these numbers'
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He said that he was “both saddened and relieved about these numbers” and urged those who had loved ones still missing to provide a DNA sample to assist in the recovery search.
Local authorities have been using DNA testing to help identify the human remains.
“The more family members that we can get, the better comparisons we can do and the faster we can do them,” Julie French from the Rapid DNA company ANDE, whose technology is being used to help identify victims, said in a video sharedby Maui’s government on social media.
Biden to visit amidst criticism
In a statement on Sunday (Aug 20), Joe Biden vowed to “do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy” while dually respecting the sacred lands, cultures and traditions of the area.
“We will be here as long as it takes for Maui,” he said ahead of his visit.
Biden has been receiving immense criticism from Republicans claiming that he has not done enough to address the devastation.
Local officials have also faced criticism. Last week, Maui's emergency management chief resigned after the agency faced backlash for failing to activate its alarm system in the wake of the fire.
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