Death toll from Maui wildfires drops to 97, Hawaii governor says
He did not immediately elaborate on why the death toll had been projected by Maui County officials at 115 for several weeks.
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He did not immediately elaborate on why the death toll had been projected by Maui County officials at 115 for several weeks.
Dry conditions and strong wind fueled wildfires on the Big Island and Maui, where blazes spread in Lahaina as well as inland.
Within a day of the list's release, more than 100 of those on the list or their relatives came forward to say they're safe, the FBI said Friday.
Witness accounts and video indicated that sparks from power lines ignited fires as utility poles snapped in the winds, which were driven by a passing hurricane.
An FBI official said that the number of people "reported unaccounted for" is somewhere between 1,000 and 1,100.
The president and first lady saw the destruction close up and met with responders in Lahaina amid criticism of the White House response to the catastrophic blaze.
The president and first lady toured the catastrophic damage done by last week's wildfires amid complaints from some about the government's response. CBS New York's Dick Brennan reports.
Several hundred federal search and rescue personnel are using dozens of cadaver dogs to comb the Lahaina burn area for human remains.
When asked Wednesday by reporters if he regretted not activating warning sirens when the wildfires broke out Aug. 8, Herman Andaya responded, "I do not."
People across Maui have been asked to provide DNA samples in an effort to identify human remains.
The death toll from the wildfires in Hawaii now stands at 106 with a majority of the victims yet to be identified. Jordan Segundo reports for CBS New York. Read more: https://cbsn.ws/3sgk3kI
Just five of the victims have been positively identified, according to Maui County officials. Gov. Green estimated that 1,300 people remain unaccounted for.
An estimated 3,000 animals were missing on the island, according to the Maui Humane Society.
At least 96 people have died, with many more expected, the governor of the state said on Monday. CBS New York's Dick Brennan has the story.
CBS New York spoke with a woman from Maui who flew to New Jersey with nothing but the clothes on her back.
People all across the country are stepping up to help those in Maui. That includes right here in the Tri-State Area, where some volunteers have already traveled to Hawaii to assist in any way they can. CBS New York's Lisa Rozner reports.
Crews have only searched 3% of the destruction for the hundreds of people who are still unaccounted for. CBS New York's Jeff Nguyen reports.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Saturday that operations would focus on "the loss of life."
