Weeks after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century swept through Lahaina, Maui, over 800 people remain unaccounted for. This staggering number presents a significant challenge for officials trying to determine the number of victims and survivors.
This situation is reminiscent of the 2018 wildfire that destroyed the town of Paradise, California, leaving 85 people dead and initially 1,300 unaccounted for. The authorities in Butte County published a list of the missing, which helped locate many survivors who hadn’t checked in.
However, Maui officials have decided against publicizing their list of missing persons due to privacy concerns and fears of further traumatizing families of the missing. The information gathered so far indicates a death toll of 115 people.
American Red Cross has been generating its list of missing persons through requests made to its call center and information gathered by its field teams. The organization has successfully completed about 2,400 reunification or welfare update requests out of more than 3,000 received so far.
Identifying human remains after wildfires can be an arduous and lengthy process. It is possible that some bodies were cremated in the Lahaina fire, leaving no bones for DNA identification.
This tragedy underlines the devastating human toll of natural disasters and the complexities and challenges involved in managing their aftermaths. Effective communication, coordination, and support are essential in this process, helping to bring closure to affected families and reinforcing the need for effective disaster management strategies.