In Maui, 850 people are still unaccounted for

Around 850 people in Maui, Hawaii are still missing after wildfires ravaged the area earlier this month.

Current efforts: The FBI is working with the Maui Police Department to match DNA samples from the missing with bodies recovered from the scene.
* Maui’s government reported it has identified 27 of the 114 known victims so far.
* Relatives of missing people are giving DNA samples to aid identification efforts.

Progress update: The initial list of missing people contained over 2,000 names, but already 1,285 have been found safe.
* 11 families have been notified of a tragic loss so far.
* Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen commended the “tireless work” of the FBI and Maui Police Department in locating individuals.

Path ahead: Mayor Bissen warned the numbers will likely change as the recovery and identification work continues.
* He confirmed he will take questions from media and the local community later this week.
* Bissen concluded by saying “our lives have changed forever and things will not be the same” but emphasized the community’s care for each other would remain.

The toll: A few days after the disasters, authorities estimated around 1,000 were unaccounted for, and as of today, 850 people are still missing.
* Mayor Bissen mentioned that those unaccounted for may have found shelter and just have not reported themselves safe yet.
* He also noted that in the scorched zone of Lahaina, there are likely no survivors.

View original article on NPR

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