Current:Home > NewsMaui death toll from wildfires drops to at least 97; officials say 31 still missing-LoTradeCoin
Maui death toll from wildfires drops to at least 97; officials say 31 still missing
View Date:2024-12-23 15:09:27
WAILUKU, Hawaii – Authorities in Hawaii have adjusted the number of deaths from the deadly Maui wildfires down to at least 97 people.
Previously officials said they believed at least 115 people had died in the fires, but further testing showed they had multiple DNA samples from some of those who died. The number of those who were missing also fell from 41 to 31, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said.
John Byrd, laboratory director with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, said during a press conference Friday afternoon that the current number of dead should be considered a minimum, because it’s possible that toll could rise.
Determining the death toll from the Aug. 8 wildfires in Lahaina has been especially complicated because of the damage caused by the fire and the chaos as people tried to escape, officials said. In some cases, animal remains were inadvertently collected along with human remains.
So far, 74 of the deceased have been positively identified, Pelletier said.
The Lahaina fire is the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. Caught in a hellscape, some residents died in their cars, while others jumped into the ocean or tried to run for safety. The Aug. 8 blaze reduced much of the historic town to ash.
Byrd said the initial death tally was too high for several reasons, adding that the lower tally now was the “normal and natural” progression of the long-term forensics investigation.
“We look at body bags that come in and we do an initial inventory and we assess how many people are represented there,” he said. “When you do the first tally of all those that have come in, the number tends to be too high because as you begin to do more analysis and examination you realize that actually you’ve got two bags that were the same person or you have two bags that were the same two people but you didn’t realize that.”
“The numbers start a little too high on the morgue side and eventually settles until at some point it’s going to be a final accurate number. I would say we’re not quite there yet,” Byrd said.
Authorities expressed relief at having a better grasp on the number of dead and those still unaccounted for in the Aug. 8 blaze.
“For the very first time … we legitimately have a chance to identify every single person we lost and to reunite them with their family,” Pelletier said. “And so in the midst of all this tragedy, there’s a little ray of hope right there and so that really is incredible.”
veryGood! (46867)
Related
- Monument erected in Tulsa for victims of 1921 Race Massacre
- When landlords won't fix asthma triggers like mold, doctors call in the lawyers
- Nightengale's Notebook: What made late Padres owner Peter Seidler beloved by his MLB peers
- TikTokers swear the bird test can reveal if a relationship will last. Psychologists agree.
- Stocks soared on news of Trump's election. Bonds sank. Here's why.
- How Patrick Mahomes Really Feels About Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's Romance
- Alabama police chief says department policies violated in fatal shooting of Black man outside home
- Does Black Friday or Cyber Monday have better deals? How to save the most in 2023.
- Is Veterans Day a federal holiday? Here's what to know for November 11
- Aaron Nola returns to Phillies on 7-year deal, AP source says
Ranking
- Bitcoin has topped $87,000 for a new record high. What to know about crypto’s post-election rally
- Mariah Carey's Holiday Tour Merch Is All We Want for Christmas
- New York Jets bench struggling quarterback Zach Wilson
- 3 major ways climate change affects life in the U.S.
- Richard Allen found guilty in the murders of two teens in Delphi, Indiana. What now?
- Tributes for Rosalynn Carter pour in from Washington, D.C., and around the country
- More military families are using food banks, pantries to make ends meet. Here's a look at why.
- Mixed results for SpaceX's Super Heavy-Starship rocket on 2nd test flight
Recommendation
-
Prosecutor failed to show that Musk’s $1M-a-day sweepstakes was an illegal lottery, judge says
-
41 workers in India are stuck in a tunnel for an 8th day. Officials consider alternate rescue plans
-
How Patrick Mahomes Really Feels About Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's Romance
-
His wife was hit by a falling tree. Along with grief came anger, bewilderment.
-
Federal judge orders Oakland airport to stop using ‘San Francisco’ in name amid lawsuit
-
Amid the Israel-Hamas war, religious leaders in the U.S. reflect on the power of unity
-
'Fargo' Season 5: See premiere date, cast, trailer as FX series makes long-awaited return
-
Alabama police chief says department policies violated in fatal shooting of Black man outside home