Authorities in Hawaii have adjusted the number of deaths from the deadly Maui wildfire down to at least 97 people.
Destroyed homes are visible in the aftermath of a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
Determining the death toll from the Aug. 8 wildfire in Lahaina has been especially complicated because of the damage caused by the fire and the chaos as people tried to escape, officials said. In some cases, animal remains were inadvertently collected along with human remains.The Lahaina fire is the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century. Caught in a hellscape, some residents died in their cars, while others jumped into the ocean or tried to run for safety.
“We look at body bags that come in and we do an initial inventory and we assess how many people are represented there,” he said. “When you do the first tally of all those that have come in, the number tends to be too high because as you begin to do more analysis and examination you realize that actually you’ve got two bags that were the same person or you have two bags that were the same two people but you didn’t realize that.
Stuelpnagel wasn’t supposed to start in his new role until October. But he sped up his start date and arrived on Maui from New York City soon after the fire. Until he arrived, Maui’s medical examiner duties were shared with other counties.Stuelpnagel said people working on the identification process are trying to “reunify people to have them as whole as they’re able to be,” before the remains are returned to their loved ones.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hawaii wildfire death toll drops from 115 to 97 with new DNA evidenceThe death toll of the Maui wildfires has been reduced, officials said, after additional DNA analysis.
Read more »
What the wildfire stole from one Maui Latter-day Saint familyA 7-year-old boy, his mom and grandparents tried to flee Hawaii’s deadliest wildfire in over a century, and ran into impossible challenges.
Read more »
A Maui family whose home burned down struggles to rebuild their livesHundreds of families like the Cascos are displaced and trying to chart a new trajectory for their lives following the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history.
Read more »
‘It could happen here’: Is the Tri-Valley ready for a wildfire like Maui’s?As climate change creates ripe conditions for devastating wildfires, a city councilwoman in Pleasanton says a devastating wildfire like the one that struck Maui last month “could happen here.…
Read more »
Death toll from Maui fire drops to 97 after officials discover multiple DNA samples for some victimsA forensics investigation team has revealed that the initial death tally of the Maui, Hawaii, wildfire, America’s deadliest blaze in more than a century, has dropped by 18.
Read more »