Maui County officials have released the identities of 388 people still unaccounted for following a massive wildfire that killed at least 115 people two weeks ago.
The list was published late Thursday in hopes of connecting loved ones with those who may have survived the fire.
“We're releasing this list of names today because we know that it will help with the investigation,” said Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier. “We also know that once those names come out, it can and will cause pain for folks whose loved ones are listed. This is not an easy thing to do, but we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible.”
Officials said that there had been 1,732 people who went missing after the fire who have since been found safe and well.
Additionally, officials have been asking families of those missing to submit DNA samples to assist with the identification process.
Maui County officials said that they have completed the search of all single-story residential properties in the disaster area. They are now focusing on searches in multi-story residential complexes and commercial buildings.
Officials say these buildings require heavy machinery in order to conduct a search safely.
Officials have estimated that over 2,200 structures in Lahaina and 544 buildings in Kula were damaged or destroyed. The state estimates damages will reach $6 billion.
During President Joe Biden's visit to Maui on Monday, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Deanna Criswell estimated that it would be around Labor Day when authorities could conclude a search of all structures.
