Hawaii wildfire disaster: At least 1,100 people missing

Many houses burned down in a wildfire in Maui, Hawaii, USA, August 10, 2023

The latest report shows that at least 115 people died in this wildfire disaster, which is also the deadliest wildfire disaster in the past century in the US. The tourist town of Lahaina - home to 12,000 people - has been almost wiped off the map with thousands of people listed as missing by many organizations and authorities, including the police, the Red Cross...

The FBI has set up a hotline to receive calls from relatives reporting missing persons, as well as to locate victims' families to assist in identifying the bodies that have been found. The FBI estimates that about 1,100 people are still missing and the number may increase. The agency is asking for the public's help in determining the exact number. To date, authorities have only identified 27 of the 115 victims.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said authorities are sifting through the data and hope to release a list of missing people in the next few days.

Due to hot and dry weather, a wildfire broke out unexpectedly on the Hawaiian island of Maui on August 9, forcing tens of thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate. According to Moody's credit rating agency, the economic loss from this wildfire disaster could range from $4 billion to $6 billion. However, most of the damage (at least 75%) is insured.

According to VNA