2023-10-21 06:29:05
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The official death toll in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century increased by one person to 99 following Maui County police found additional remains.
The remains were recovered Oct. 12 in Lahaina, police spokeswoman Alana Pico said in an email Friday. An autopsy and forensic examination verified that they did not belong to a victim already located earlier.
So far, police have identified the remains of 97 people who died in the Aug. 8 fire that swept through much of Lahaina, a historic town on Maui’s west coast. The remains of two people remain unidentified and another six remain missing.
The fire started in a grassy area in the hills of Lahaina. Powerful winds caused by a hurricane passing south of Hawaii carried embers from one home to another and hampered firefighters’ efforts. More than 2,000 buildings were destroyed and some 8,000 people were forced to move to hotels and other temporary accommodation.
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