The death toll of the Maui wildfires has been reduced, officials said, after additional DNA analysis.
A tribute to Carole Hartley, who died in the Aug. 8 fires in Lahaina, stands at Ukumehame Beach near Lahaina, HI, during a celebration of her life on Aug. 28, 2023, what would have been her 61st birthday. (Photo by Tamir Kalifa for The Washington PosOfficials noted that the number of fatalities may continue to change, as forensic anthropologists and other experts pore through the rest of the remains. Steulpnagel said that is the reason for the change in the death toll.
Of the 97 fatalities, 74 of the individuals have been identified. The most recently confirmed identifications were those of Marilou Dias, 60, and June Anbe, 78, of Lahaina. Their next of kin have been notified. "For the very first time, we legitimately have a chance. We legitimately have a chance to identify every single person we lost and to reunite them with their families," said John Pelletier, chief of police in Maui County. "In the midst of all this tragedy, there's a little ray of hope right there."
Officials added that 31 people are currently unaccounted for, down from more than 3,000 originally. According to Pelletier, each one of the 31 has a missing persons report associated with the case.
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