On Maui, the search for missing people continues under high pressure: 106 people have so far been recovered dead after the fires. However, the number could double, Hawaii’s governor said. US President Biden announced a visit.
After the devastating fires on the island of Maui in the US state of Hawaii, the death toll has risen to 106. “We are heartbroken to have suffered such a loss,” Gov. Josh Green said. Children are among them, he confirmed. He also conceded again that the number of victims could increase significantly – possibly double.
Of the initially 2,000 missing people, 1,300 are still being sought. In the meantime, many relatives have been able to reach their family members after the cell phone network has been restored.
A quarter of the buildings were searched with dogs
Helpers continue to search the burned-out buildings with corpse-sniffing dogs. Police Chief John Pelletier said only about a quarter of them had been inspected. According to Governor Green, 10 to 20 bodies are expected to be found every day.
The authorities called on the relatives of missing persons to submit DNA samples in order to be able to compare them if necessary. A larger team of forensic scientists and pathologists has now arrived on the island to help with the identification, media reports said. A mobile morgue was also set up.
Storm expected over the weekend
Most of the search should be completed by the weekend. Time is of the essence as a storm with heavy rain is expected over the weekend – it could severely limit salvage work.
The County of Maui is considering shutting down power as a precautionary measure to prevent further fires from falling power lines, Green said. The local power company had been criticized in recent days for not shutting off power in a fire-prone area in strong winds.
Biden wants to visit Hawaii “as soon as possible”.
US President Joe Biden announced that he would visit the island with his wife Jill Biden “as soon as possible” – he did not give a specific date.
He does not want his presence to interrupt the rescue and clean-up efforts. “I don’t want to get in the way,” the president said, adding that the salvage is tedious work that takes time. Biden said he assured Gov. Green that Hawaii “will get whatever it needs from the federal government.” He directs his thoughts and prayers to the people of Hawaii.
The US President had declared a disaster last week because of the fires and thus released federal aid for the affected areas on the US Pacific archipelago.
Maui is asking tourists not to travel
Maui authorities, meanwhile, are tasked with housing and caring for thousands of survivors who have lost their homes. The willingness to help is enormous. In Kahalui alone on Maui’s North Shore, several renowned chefs prepare 9,000 meals a day with the help of countless volunteers.
Nearly 2,000 housing units, including 400 hotel rooms, 1,400 Airbnb apartments and 160 private homes, are available for the homeless, Hawaii’s Gov. Green said. The tourism authority meanwhile repeated its appeals not to visit Maui for the time being. You need the space in hotels and vacation rentals for the locals who have lost their homes.
Forest and bush fires on Maui
In ruins
Deadliest fires in more than 100 years
Maui’s wildfires are the deadliest in the United States in more than 100 years. The fires broke out on August 8 in several locations on Maui and the neighboring island of Hawaii, which bears the same name as the state.
On Maui, the small town of Lahaina, which had a population of 13,000 before the accident, was hit particularly hard. Many streets there look like in a war zone. The town center was completely destroyed. More than 2,000 buildings burned down partially or completely. The damage is estimated at several billion dollars. The cause of the disaster is still under investigation. A hurricane that passed south of the islands was also responsible for the rapidly spreading fires, the authorities said.
Many Lahaina residents have accused authorities of not giving them timely notice of the fires. Among other things, there was no alarm from the warning sirens, and other protective measures did not work either. The crisis management of the authorities is now the subject of investigations. Many residents are also upset that they are still not allowed to return to Lahaina.
With information from Katharina Wilhelm, ARD Studio Los Angeles