The death toll from the Maui wildfires reached 114 but could continue to surge as officials still don’t know for sure how many remain missing, The Post has learned.
Officials could not provide numbers on how many people, iincluding children, are unaccounted for, they said.
“We’re in the process of merging all the lists into one,” Anita Ahuja, Director of the Victim Witness Program for the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney in Maui County, told The Post. “We’re trying to centralize so there’s one list and we can take off the people who have been found.”
Criticism has built as locals blame a slew of failures for the scope of destruction caused by the blaze.
“We could always do more,” said Maui Mayor Mayor Richard Bissen. “I don’t think there’s anybody who thinks we couldn’t have done more. The right thing to do is for us to cooperate with the investigators who review this, that’s the right time and place to get to that answer.”
When asked about how many children have been found, Bissen said he wished he knew.
Native Hawaiians and others from Lahaina said earlier Friday they worry Hawaii’s governor, Josh Green, is moving too quickly to rebuild what was lost while the grief is still raw. ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
In Green’s address, he attempted to allay their concerns, while noting that rebuilding will take years of work and billions of dollars. AP
Earlier this week, Green said he would announce details of a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina to prevent people from falling victim to land grabs. New York Post
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen speaks during a press conference on Thursday after visiting a distribution center. AFP via Getty Images
Search and recovery team members check charred buildings and cars in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 18, 2023. AFP via Getty Images“We don’t control where they search or what they find. We’re not trying to keep anything from the public, quite the opposite. We’re as heartbroken as anybody else about all the losses, young or old. We’ll report it as soon as we’re told.”
Maui police say 78% of the area has been searched as of Friday evening, according to Maui news.
Meanwhile, with rain in the forecast for Hawaii next week, officials are rushing to prevent toxic ash from running into the ocean by gluing it in place.
While crews sifted through ashes and rubble in Lahaina, scenes of normalcy continued in other parts of Maui, even if the tragedy hung heavy over the island. AP
The lack of sirens has emerged as a potential misstep, part of a series of communication issues that added to the chaos. Getty Images
A satellite image shows the aftermath of the wildfires in Lahaina on Maui island. via REUTERS
The cause of the wildfires is under investigation. But Hawaii is increasingly at risk from disasters, with wildfire rising fastest, according to an AP analysis of FEMA records. REUTERSAs part of the recovery efforts, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is planning to use a glue-like substance to keep ash in place for several months, the Honolulu Civil beat reported.
“We will apply a soil tackifier which will basically bind up the ash and mitigate migration of the ash from the wind,” according to Environmental Protection Agency incident commander Steve Calanog.
The move comes after officials announced that toxic chemicals released into the air and water could pose serious, long-term health risks, The Post reported.
More than 60% of the disaster area had been searched, Green said Friday, adding that he expects the number of dead to increase each day of the search. AFP via Getty Images
Corrine Hussey Nobriga said it was hard to lay blame for a tragedy that took everyone by surprise, even if some of her neighbors raised questions about the absence of sirens and inadequate evacuation routes. AFP via Getty Images
Hotels also are available for eligible evacuees who have been sleeping in cars or camping in parking lots, he said. AFP via Getty ImagesThey recommended residents wear masks to guard against the toxins.
