The death toll from the deadly forest fires that ravaged the island of Maui, Hawaii, has been revised downwards. Authorities now report at least 97 victims.
Authorities had previously said they believed at least 115 people had died in the fires, but further testing showed they had several DNA samples from some of the deceased.
The number of missing people was also revised downwards, from 41 to 31, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said.
John Byrd, director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency laboratory, said at a news conference Friday afternoon that the current death toll should be considered a minimum because it is possible the toll could rise.
Determining the death toll from the Aug. 8 Lahaina wildfires has been particularly complicated because of the damage caused by the flames, as well as the chaos that gripped the historic town. In some cases, animal remains have been inadvertently collected with human remains.
So far, 74 of the deceased have been identified, Pelletier said.
The Lahaina fire is the deadliest in the United States in more than a century. Caught in a hellish landscape, some residents died in their cars, while others jumped into the ocean or tried to run for safety.
Mr Byrd stressed that the initial death count was too high for several reasons, adding that the lower count was part of the “normal and natural” progression of the forensic investigation.
“We examine the body bags that arrive, we do an initial inventory and we evaluate how many people are represented in them,” he explained. Doing the first count of all those that have come in, the number tends to be too high, because as analyzes and examinations are carried out, it is realized that remains found in two bags belonged to the same person. »
“The numbers start a little too high on the morgue side and eventually level out until at some point it’s an accurate final number. I would say we’re not there yet,” Mr. Byrd said.
Only people for whom a missing persons report has been filed with the Maui Police Department are on the missing persons list, Pelletier said. If a missing person’s report hasn’t been filed for a person more than five weeks after the fire, then that person is probably not actually missing, the chief said.
Dr. Jeremy Stuelpnagel, Maui County’s coroner, was not expected to take office until October. However, he moved up his start date and arrived in Maui shortly after the fire. Until his arrival, Maui’s medical examiner’s duties were shared with other counties.
Dr. Stuelpnagel detailed that people working on the identification process attempt to “reunify the bodies so that they are as whole as they can be,” before the remains are returned to their loved ones.
The work to reunite fire victims with their families involves more than just DNA testing, officials said. Anthropologists help, and officials collect clues about dental care and medical devices like pacemakers when possible.