Lahaina Search only 3% Done--death toll stands at 89
HNN: … he increase in deaths, up from 80 on Friday, means the disaster is the deadliest wildfire in the US in more than a century. “It’s going to continue to rise, I’m going to brace people for that,” Green said, at a news conference. “A lot of people are stunned; they’re traumatized.”
UPDATE Aug 12, 2023: Death Toll 93 only two identified
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said cadaver dogs have searched just 3% of the hardest-hit areas, and asked those with missing loved ones to provide DNA samples at a county resource center. For information on the hubs and other ways to report loved ones missing, click here.
Pelletier also asked for patience from those seeking to get into downtown Lahaina, reminding people that there are still remains that aren’t recovered.
“We know we have to go quick, but we’ve got to do it right,” he said.
“We’re not done with 89. None of us really understand the size of it.”
Also on Saturday, Green announced 1,000 hotel rooms had been secured for evacuees and first responders. Long-term housing options are also being sought — all at government expense.
“We’re going into the houses for the first time. There were already 80 fatalities. It’s going to rise,” Green told Hawaii News Now on Saturday. “It will certainly be the worst national disaster Hawaii has ever faced. It may be the worst fire that America has ever faced by the time it’s done.”…
On Friday, the county put the total number of residents at evacuation shelters at 1,418. That’s in addition to hundreds more staying with friends, in hotels or in their cars.
Federal officials estimate about 4,500 people have been displaced….
KITV: Death toll from Maui wildfire reaches 89, making it the deadliest in the US in more than 100 years
CB: The search for casualties will take eight to 10 days, Green said
read … Governor says death toll in Lahaina stands at 89; warns fatalities ‘will continue to rise’ (hawaiinewsnow.com)