Maui wildfire survivors shrinks the missing list by over 100 people
Significant drop in number of missing people after Maui wildfire; survivors contact authorities to confirm their safety.
The number of people who are still unaccounted for after the devastating wildfire in Maui has dropped significantly, thanks to the efforts of the authorities and the survivors themselves.
Earlier this week, the County of Maui published a list of 388 names of people who were missing in the aftermath of the blaze, which is the worst in the US in a century. The list was based on reports from family members, friends, and neighbors who had not been able to contact their loved ones.
But, many of those who were on the list turned out to be safe and sound. They contacted the officials by phone or email to inform them that they had survived the fire and were in a secure location.
“We’re very thankful for the people who have reached out by phone or email,” said Steven Merrill, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Honolulu, at a news conference.
“As we get someone off of a list, this has enabled us to devote more resources to those who are still on the list,” Merrill added.
The FBI is now verifying the information provided by the survivors and updating the list accordingly.
Some of the survivors who were initially listed as missing expressed their confusion and frustration over being on the list. They said they did not know why they were on it or how to get off it.
The authorities said they released the list of names because they wanted to make sure that they did not miss anyone who might be in need of help.
“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,” said Police Chief John Pelletier in a statement when the list was released.
The search and rescue operations are still ongoing, as the death toll from the fire remains at 115 people and is expected to rise. The fire destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, and forced thousands of people to evacuate.
The officials have completed searching all single-family homes as of Tuesday, and are now focusing on multi-story buildings, both residential and commercial.
