Nearly 400 remain missing in Hawaii after deadly wildfires

Honolulu, Aug 26

Nearly 400 people remain unaccounted for following the devastating wildfires in Hawaii's Maui Island which have claimed at least 115 lives since its eruption on August 8.

The “validated list”, curated by the FBI, includes 388 names, as cell phone data now also is being used to try to pinpoint where victims may have been when the deadliest US wildfire disaster in more than 100 years tore through the island, CNN quoted the Maui County as saying.

“We’re releasing this list of names because we know that it will help with the investigation,” Police Chief John Pelletier said in a statement.

“We also know that once those names come out, it can and will cause pain for folks whose loved ones are listed. This is not an easy thing to do, but we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible.”

The FBI has worked with agencies “to unduplicate people that have been reported missing”, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green had said on Thursday.

Wind-whipped flames tore through the Maui Island on August 8 following the historic town of Lahaina was left in ruins, with entire neighbourhoods and businesses reduced to ash,reports CNN.

As search crews and cadaver dogs have searched 100 per cent of single-storey homes in the disaster area, they were now going through multistorey homes and commercial properties, Maui County officials had said earlier in the week.