Current:Home > Contact-usMaui has released the names of 388 people still missing after deadly wildfire-LoTradeCoin
Maui has released the names of 388 people still missing after deadly wildfire
View Date:2024-12-23 19:50:27
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Maui County released the names of 388 people still missing Thursday more than two weeks after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, and officials asked anyone who knows a person on the list to be safe to contact authorities.
The FBI compiled the list of names. The number of confirmed dead after fires on Maui that destroyed the historic seaside community of Lahaina stands at 115, a number the county said is expected to rise.
“We also know that once those names come out, it can and will cause pain for folks whose loved ones are listed,” Police Chief John Pelletier said in a statement. “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.”
Names on the list were deemed validated if officials had a person’s first and last name and a verified contact for the person who reported them missing, officials said.
An additional 1,732 people who had been reported missing have been found safe as of Thursday afternoon, officials said.
On Wednesday, officials said 1,000 to 1,100 names remained on the FBI’s tentative, unconfirmed list of people unaccounted for, but DNA had been collected from only 104 families, a figure far lower than in previous major disasters around the country.
Hawaii officials had expressed concern that by releasing a list of the missing, they would also be identifying some people who have died. Pelletier said Tuesday that his team faced difficulties in compiling a solid list. In some cases, people provided only partial names, and in other cases names might be duplicated.
Maui County sued Hawaiian Electric Co. on Thursday, saying the utility negligently failed to shut off power despite exceptionally high winds and dry conditions. Witness accounts and video indicated that sparks from power lines ignited fires as utility poles snapped in the winds, which were driven by a passing hurricane.
Hawaii Electric said in a statement it is “very disappointed that Maui County chose this litigious path while the investigation is still unfolding.”
veryGood! (699)
Related
- New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
- US to spend $700M on new embassy in Ireland, breaks ground on new embassy in Saudi Arabia
- Horoscopes Today, December 12, 2023
- Jennifer Aniston says she was texting with Matthew Perry the morning of his death: He was happy
- IAT Community Introduce
- Haley gets endorsement from Gov. Chris Sununu ahead of pivotal New Hampshire primary
- 'This is completely serious': MoonPie launches ad campaign targeting extraterrestrials
- Multiple injuries reported in nighttime missile attack on Ukrainian capital
- ONA Community Introduce
- Two indicted in Maine cold case killing solved after 15 years, police say
Ranking
- Deebo Samuel explains 'out of character' sideline altercation with 49ers long snapper, kicker
- Biden says Netanyahu's government is starting to lose support and needs to change
- Vikings bench Joshua Dobbs, turn to Nick Mullens as fourth different starting QB this season
- Argentina devalues its currency and cuts subsidies as part of shock economic measures
- New York races to revive Manhattan tolls intended to fight traffic before Trump can block them
- Why Julia Roberts calls 'Pretty Woman'-inspired anniversary gift on 'RHOBH' 'very strange'
- Punter Matt Araiza to be dropped from rape lawsuit as part of settlement with accuser
- Tunisia opposition figure Issa denounces military prosecution as creating fear about civil freedoms
Recommendation
-
Love Is Blind’s Chelsea Blackwell Reacts to Megan Fox’s Baby News
-
Fantasy football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: 15 players to start or sit in Week 15
-
Hilary Duff announces she's pregnant with baby No. 4: 'Buckle up buttercups'
-
Haley gets endorsement from Gov. Chris Sununu ahead of pivotal New Hampshire primary
-
Spirit Airlines cancels release of Q3 financial results as debt restructuring talks heat up
-
Yes, dietary choices can contribute to diabetes risk: What foods to avoid
-
Newest, bluest resort on Las Vegas Strip aims to bring Miami Beach vibe to southern Nevada
-
How the remixed American 'cowboy' became the breakout star of 2023