Maui Wildfire: Death Toll Rises to 93, Search for Survivors Continues

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• Maui’s wildfire death toll now stands at 93, making it the deadliest US wildfire in over a century.
• Search and rescue teams continue to work amid the remains of Lahaina town.
• Governor Josh Green says the death toll could rise further.

Fury and sorrow grip residents of the Hawaiian resort town devastated by a horrific inferno, as the death toll from the wildfires climbed to 93 on Saturday.

This now stands as the deadliest wildfire in the United States in over a century.

Authorities cautioned that the count could rise further, as search and rescue teams continued their painstaking work amid the remains of Lahaina town on Maui island.

Once a vibrant hub with over 12,000 residents, the town now lies in ruins, with its bustling hotels and restaurants transformed into ashes.

During a press briefing on Saturday, Governor Josh Green disclosed that the confirmed death count from the Maui wildfires had reached 89, marking it as the most fatal US wildfire in over a century.

Subsequently, Maui County elevated the verified death toll to 93.

Surpassing the toll of 85 lives lost in a 2018 blaze in Paradise, California, the current count now stands as the most extensive loss of life in a wildfire since 1918. That year, the Cloquet fire in Minnesota and Wisconsin claimed 453 lives.

Maui’s police chief, John Pelletier, revealed that the ongoing search efforts have only scratched the surface of the disaster-stricken region. Identifying victims remains challenging due to severe burns, with only two individuals recognized so far.

He further noted that cadaver dogs, trained to locate bodies, have combed through a mere 3 percent of the search area.