For days the death toll from the Maui fires has stood at 115 people, but last week the county released an FBI-verified list of 388 people still unaccounted for. It's the most recent estimate of the number of people who are still missing. Now, the FBI says it is searching a four-mile stretch of the coastline off Lahaina around 200 yards out for bodies.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 The death toll for the Maui fires
00:02 has stood at 115 people for days now,
00:05 but last week the county released
00:07 an FBI verified list of 388
00:09 people that are still unaccounted for.
00:11 It's the most recent official number
00:13 of people who are still missing.
00:15 The FBI says it is searching a four
00:17 mile stretch off the coastline of Lahaina,
00:20 around 200 yards out for bodies.
00:22 When the flames overtook the town,
00:24 many people jumped into the ocean
00:26 to escape the fire that had come
00:28 rushing down from the mountain.
00:30 The Coast Guard and private boats
00:32 were on the water that night.
00:33 Pulling people from the ocean,
00:35 but it was chaotic and there are still
00:37 fears not everyone was able to make
00:39 it out of the water safely,
00:41 even with the number of people who
00:43 are still missing and the water search.
00:45 Authorities say they don't expect
00:47 the death toll to rise much more,
00:49 since the number of missing people
00:51 only accounts for authorities who have
00:52 not been able to contact these people.
00:55 It's possible they have already
00:56 been in touch with loved ones.
00:58 President Biden spoke yesterday
01:00 about the most recent federal
01:02 efforts to give aid to the island.
01:04 Today I'm announcing that $95 million
01:06 from the bipartisan infrastructure
01:08 law is on the way to Hawaii.
01:10 I'm directing my administration to
01:12 continue working with urgency and
01:14 focus to help the people of Maui on
01:17 their journey of recovery and healing.
01:19 And we're going to make sure you are
01:22 healed and you're better shape than before.
01:25 I said when I was on the island last week,
01:28 we're not leaving until the jobs done and
01:31 will be there as long as it takes.
01:33 Residents still are not allowed inside
01:35 the burn zone in Lahaina due to ash that
01:38 may contain toxic cancer causing chemicals.
01:40 Officials say along with broken glass,
01:42 exposed electrical wires and other hazards,
01:44 they want to keep people safe
01:46 as they work to remove debris.
01:48 Authorities say it could take months
01:50 for them to clear debris before they
01:52 allow people back into the burn zone.
01:55 They are asking for patience as they
01:57 finish these efforts in a thorough and
01:59 culturally sensitive way that honors
02:01 the history of Lahaina.
02:03 Officials say they will be releasing an
02:05 updated list of missing people tomorrow.
02:08 Dan Grossman, Scripps News, Denver.