by Madeleine Hubbard
The list of missing is down from more than 2,000 after 1,285 people were located as safe.
At least 114 people have been confirmed dead and 850 people are still missing after devastating wildfires tore through the western part of Maui, the Hawaiian island's mayor, Richard Bissen, confirmed Monday.
The FBI combined and refined lists of missing individuals gathered by the American Red Cross, FBI Honolulu, Maui Police Department and the government Emergency Management Agency in the aftermath of the deadly Maui wildfires, Bissen said in a video.
Of the 114 individuals confirmed dead, 27 bodies have been identified and 11 families have been notified of the deaths of their loved ones, Bissen also said.
The FBI and Maui County Coroner are working together to identify all of the recovered remains, as the fire is the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
Currently, 850 names are still on the list of missing people, but Bissen said this is down from more than 2,000 names and that more than 1,285 people have been located as safe.
The number is down from Sunday morning when Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said on CBS News' "Meet the Press" that "more than 1,000 are unaccounted for, about 1,050. It will take several weeks still."
While 85% of the affected land has been covered by search and rescue teams, larger buildings are posing a major obstacle, Green also said. Some of the floors and structures need to be dismantled during search efforts, but the temperature of the fire may make it "impossible" to fully recover some remains, the governor also said.
"We are both saddened and relieved about these numbers as we continue the recovery process," Bissen said in his message Monday. "The number 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 list."
People who have missing relatives are encouraged to provide DNA samples at the Family Assistance Center at a Hyatt hotel in Maui. Those in the continental US or in neighboring Hawaiian islands are invited to call the FBI to arrange a time to provide a DNA sample.
Bissen concluded his message by announcing plans to hold a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 22. He said that normally, he takes questions from the media, but he is encouraging the public to email his office at community@mauicounty.gov with any questions he may be able to answer.
The Maui Emergency Management Agency has been criticized for not sounding its emergency sirens during the wildfires, which started Aug. 8. The agency's head, Herman Andaya, stepped down last week in response to the controversy.
Madeleine Hubbard
Source: https://justthenews.com/nation/states/maui-mayor-says-850-people-still-missing-after-devastating-wildfires
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