FBI releases names of nearly 400 people missing in Maui wildfires, as lifeguards comb the waters for human remains following blaze that killed 115

Officials in Maui have released the names of nearly 400 people who are still missing following the wildfires two weeks ago, which killed at least 115 people.

The FBI compiled the list of 388 names, which is significantly less than the previous estimate of 1,100 missing. The number was reduced after duplicates were omitted.

The number of confirmed deaths from fires that devastated the historic coastal community of Lahaina stands at 115, a number the county expects to rise.

Many on the list of those still missing share a shared last name, a grim indication that entire families or groups of relatives remain missing and may have died.

The list was published along with the identities of several more victims whose remains have been recovered since the fires on Tuesday, August 8. The list included Tony Takafua, seven, the youngest known victim of the disaster, who died along with his mother and two. other family members.

Authorities were initially reluctant to publish the names, as it meant some families would have learned about their dead loved ones through the disclosure. Pictured: Crosses honoring the victims of the wildfire are placed along the Lahaina Bypass in Lahaina, Hawaii

Tony Takafua (left), seven, the youngest known victim of the disaster, who died with his mother, Salote Takafua (right), and two other family members

Authorities were initially reluctant to publish the names, as this meant some families would have learned about the deaths of their loved ones through the public disclosure.

Police Chief John Pelletier said: “We also know that once these names get out, it can and will cause pain for people whose loved ones are on the list.

“This is not easy, but we want to make sure we do everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible.”

The search for bodies in Lahaina has expanded to the ocean, where dive teams this week scoured the waters for remains.

Many people fled into the water as fires swept through the historic city, destroying more than 2,000 buildings. It is feared that many have drowned.

Names on the missing list were considered validated if officials had a person’s first and last name and a verified contact for the person who reported them missing, officials said.

The search for bodies in Lahaina has expanded to the ocean, where dive teams this week scoured the water for remains

A general view shows the aftermath of a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Another 1,732 people reported missing were found safe Thursday afternoon, officials said.

On Wednesday, officials said there were still 1,000 to 1,100 names on the FBI’s tentative, unconfirmed missing persons list, but DNA had been collected from only 104 families, a figure far lower than previous major disasters across the country. .

Pelletier said on Tuesday that his team was having difficulties compiling a solid list. In some cases people have provided only partial names, and in other cases names may be duplicated.

The developments come after Maui County Hawaiian Electric Co. sued Thursday after the utility failed to shut down power despite exceptionally strong winds and dry conditions.

Witness accounts and video footage indicated that sparks from power lines started fires when power poles broke in the wind, which were driven by a passing hurricane.

Hawaii Electric said in a statement that it is “deeply disappointed that Maui County has taken this litigious course of action while the investigation is still ongoing.”