More than 100 out of the 388 persons listed as missing after the Maui wildfires had been found safe, as confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Yet, Maui County officials said that the fresh information still has to be examined and corroborated before those over 100 names can be taken off the list.
According to CBS News, FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill thanked the public for their help. At a press conference, he said, "We're very thankful for the people who have reached out by phone or email. As we get someone off of a list, this has enabled us to devote more resources to those who are still on the list."
The Lahaina fire has claimed the lives of at least 115 people so far, and that number is more likely to go up.
Officials in Maui County said on Friday, August 25, that 45 victims had been positively identified. The first kid casualty of the wildfire was identified as Tony Takafua, 7. The bodies of Takafua, his mother Salote Tone (aged 39), and his grandparents Faaoso Tone (aged 70) and Maluifonua Tone (aged 73) were discovered in a torched car close to their house.
The high percentage of youngsters among the victims has alarmed authorities.
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Could the Blazes Have Been Averted?
Meanwhile, at a press conference on Friday, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen announced the appointment of Darryl Oliveira as the interim administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency. He replaced Herman Andaya, who resigned a week earlier after receiving criticism for his agency's response to the wildfires.
On August 17, Andaya stepped down after publicly defending his choice to not activate the island's warning sirens as the Lahaina wildfire progressed. Andaya stated that people in Lahaina may have mistaken the sirens for tsunami alarms and run into the path of the fire had they been activated.
People have been instructed to "seek higher ground" in case of sirens, Andaya added.
Recently, Maui County said it had filed a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric Company for its role in the Lahaina fires, claiming that the company had been irresponsible in failing to turn off electricity amid strong winds and dry conditions.
According to eyewitness testimony and footage, fires were started by sparks from power lines when utility poles broke in the high winds caused by a cyclone that passed well to the south.
The complaint indicates that the damage could have been prevented if the utility company had properly maintained and repaired the electric transmission lines and other equipment associated with the transmission of electricity.
Front Street in Lahaina came to a complete halt as a result of collapsed power lines and police or utility employees barring several roadways. Several locals leaped into the ocean off Maui to get away from the blazing buildings and thick black smoke that had engulfed the city center.
