At least 106 people perished in the fire a week ago that wiped out the ancient town of Lahaina. To aid in the identification of the deceased, federal authorities sent a mobile morgue to Hawaii, staffed by coroners, pathologists, and technicians.
At least 106 individuals perished in the wildfire, and Maui County has begun releasing the names of those who died. Even a week after the blazes began, some locals were still dealing with power outages, spotty mobile coverage, and confusion about where to get help. Occasionally, folks would trek to a seawall, where reception was better, just to get some work done or talk on the phone.
The location of water and supplies were broadcast using a loudspeaker system installed on a single-propeller aircraft.
The county has identified three additional fatalities and would reveal their identities after informing the next of kin, although only two have been named.
According to Jonathan Greene, deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the task will be very challenging due to the large number of casualties. Over 22 tons of materials and equipment, including mortuary examination tables and X-ray devices required for victim identification and processing, arrived Tuesday morning in a mobile morgue unit.
The County of Maui stated that they had searched 32 percent of the area using cadaver dogs. As demands to see the fire area flooded officials, the governor pleaded for patience. John Pelletier, the chief of police on Maui, recently issued a fresh plea for DNA samples from families with missing loved ones. We have received 41 samples to analyze 13 DNA profiles from skeletal remains.
Some flames have not been extinguished, but they are already the worst in the United States in over a century. Already the bloodiest in U.S. history, the governor has warned that dozens more corpses may be discovered.
