Conflicting data has continued to pour in regarding the amount of “confirmed” dead and “missing,” with the latest FBI report revealing 385 people are still listed as missing after the deadly fire on Maui that destroyed the town of Lahaina on August 8, 2023.
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow/Gray News) – The FBI’s validated list of people who remain unaccounted for following the Lahaina, Hawaii, wildfire now includes 385 individuals, authorities announced Friday night.
That’s just three fewer people than where the list stood last week.
Officials said after releasing the full list of validated names, some 245 people were removed — either because they were reportedly found safe or confirmed to have perished.
Of that first FBI-generated list, 122 remain unaccounted for.
But authorities have also added to the list with new reports, bringing the number back up.
The FBI-validated list is in addition to lists compiled by other organizations, which counted the missing at more than 1,000. The FBI list, however, only includes people for whom authorities have a first and last name and contact information for the person who reported the missing persons case.
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said in a video statement a new FBI-validated list will be released each Friday. He also stressed the importance of providing a DNA sample if individuals have a missing relative.
“We need you, the public, to help us in this effort,” Pelletier said.
Anyone who has information about someone on the list is asked to call the FBI at 888-814-7693.
The new list comes as the death toll from the ferocious blaze stands at 115.
Of those, 55 have been identified — many with the help of DNA technology.
Authorities have declined to predict what the final toll will be because of continued uncertainty around how many of the missing simply haven’t been able to check in with loved ones. But as the four-week mark of the disaster nears, authorities acknowledge the number of deaths will rise.
New fatalities will almost certainly include people who are presumed to have perished but whose remains haven’t been recovered. Specialized teams have completed the work of searching for remains in Lahaina, which has allowed EPA workers collecting toxic materials to move in.
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