The number of missing Maui wildfire victims rises to 1,100, with 115 dead weeks after the blazes first devastated Hawaii
Officials investigating the Maui wildfires have said the number of missing people is now at 1,100.
The FBI issued a statement regarding the Lahaina fires, claiming that it will soon begin releasing the names of the missing people.
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“We’re making tremendous progress,” Honolulu FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill said per Hawaii News Now.
Previously, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen estimated that about 850 people were missing.
It has been confirmed that 115 people have died in the wildfires, a number that makes the natural disaster the worst wildfire in over a century.
Over the past week, authorities have asked relatives of the missing persons to submit their DNA samples to expedite the identification process.
The family support center only collected samples from 104 families, reports the AP News.
Maui prosecutor Andrew Martin said the number of DNA sample volunteers was fewer than in previous disasters.
“That’s our concern, that’s why I’m here today, that’s why I’m asking for this help,” he said.
He said the samples would only be used to identify the victims.
“What we want to do — everything we want to do — is help people find and identify their missing loved ones,” he said.
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