Nearly 1,100 missing after Hawaii wildfires
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Although the official list included 388 people, the FBI stated Tuesday that there were around 1,000 to 1,100 people on a provisional list of people unaccounted for.
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Residents look for belongings through the ashes of their family's home on August 14 in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, in western Maui, Hawaii. (AFP)
Officials on the Hawaiian island of Maui have revealed the names of 388 individuals who have gone missing since the deadly wildfire in Hawaii.
The FBI has produced a list of known persons suspected to be missing as a result of the fire, and it claimed on Tuesday that there were around 1,000 to 1,100 people on a provisional list of those unaccounted for.
Maui's police chief John Pelletier explained that the names were released in order to "aid with the investigation," adding that authorities are aware once the names come out it will "cause pain for folks whose loved ones are listed. 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."
While the number of people reported to have been killed in the fire has fluctuated, the official death toll from the fires, which destroyed much of the ancient seaside town of Lahaina, remains at 115.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) teams, equipped with cadaver dogs trained to detect the odor of human decomposition, have been combing the region for weeks, going door to door. The crews have been exploring the town's ruins, making harrowing finds of bone pieces and body parts. Officials stated last week that they had examined all of the town's single-story homes.
Read more: Hawaii officials underestimated the fire, did not warn residents
According to Maui County, 46 persons have been identified, with seven-year-old Tony Takafua being the first verified child killed. Many of the victims are believed to be young children while most identified are older. Joe Schilling, 67, died after remaining to help the neighbors living in his senior complex escape the flames, according to his family.
The fire was fueled by recent heat and drought conditions exacerbated by the climate crisis, as well as the spread of combustible, non-native grasses hundreds of kilometers distant.
A lawsuit was filed against Hawaiin Electric for allowing the fire to ignite, claiming "intentional and malicious" mismanagement of electricity lines, which caused the fire; the company is being accused of disregarding warnings about fire-prone conditions.
The electric company responded that it was "disappointed the Maui County chose this litigious path while the investigation is still unfolding."
Official estimates indicate that more than 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed when the fire tore through Lahaina, causing $5.5 billion in damage and displacing thousands of people.
Biden compares Maui wildfires to kitchen fire he experienced
After touring Maui following the wildfires that killed at least 114 people and left a thousand missing, US President Joe Biden compared his experience to a small kitchen fire he said he had experienced previously. Such a comparison caused a wave of 'F*** you!' screams as his motorcade went by on the island.
Biden spoke of the loss of his wife and baby daughter in 1972 and then proceeded to compare the wildfires to a kitchen fire at his Delaware home that happened in 2004. The US President didn't stop there, since he continued to ask rescue teams whether their boots were reinforced before commenting on the 'hot ground' beneath their feet as a joke.
This comes amid a wave of criticism by Hawaiian residents who received just $700 handed for each affected family by the Biden administration after losing homes and properties, while aid for Ukraine in the war amounted to tens of billions.
The president also faced a massive wave of condemnation for his slow response to the disaster, especially after saying 'no comment' when asked for his response to the fires as he left on his vacation to the beach in Delaware.
