Devendra Kumar
As the investigation into the deadliest US wildfire in over a century continues, Maui County has released the names of 388 people still missing, two weeks after the devastating fires that destroyed the historic seaside community of Lahaina. The list was compiled by the FBI, and officials are urging anyone with information about a missing person on the list to come forward. The number of confirmed dead stands at 115, a figure that is expected to rise.
Police Chief John Pelletier acknowledged that releasing the names would be painful for families who have lost loved ones, but emphasized that the goal is to make the investigation as complete and thorough as possible. The names on the list were deemed validated if officials had a confirmed first and last name and a verified contact for the person who reported them missing.
Meanwhile, officials have found 1,732 people who had been reported missing, and 1,000 to 1,100 names remain on the FBI’s tentative list of people unaccounted for. However, DNA samples have been collected from only 104 families, which is significantly lower than in previous major disasters. The difficulty in compiling a solid list has been due to incomplete or duplicated information, with some people providing only partial names.
As of Thursday, officials had notified the families of 35 people who had been identified, but the families of an additional 11 identified people have not been located or notified. The eight names released on Thursday included a family of four whose remains were found in a burned car near their home: seven-year-old Tony Takafua; his mother, Salote Tone, 39; and his grandparents Faaoso Tone, 70, and Maluifonua Tone, 73.
In related news, Maui County has sued Hawaiian Electric Company, alleging that the utility firm negligently failed to shut off power despite exceptionally high winds and dry conditions. Witness accounts and video indicate that sparks from power lines ignited fires as utility poles snapped in the winds, driven by a passing hurricane. Hawaiian Electric has expressed disappointment at the lawsuit, stating that it would have a chilling effect on the investigation.
The release of the names of the missing is a difficult but necessary step in the investigation, with officials urging anyone with information to come forward. As the search for the missing continues, the community remains devastated by the loss of life and property.