Hawaii wildfire has caused over 1100 missing persons | Wildfire | Hawaii
Beijing, August 23 (Xinhua) - According to a report from the US government on August 22, since the wildfire broke out in Maui County, Hawaii two weeks ago, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has recorded over 1100 people missing, and this number may further increase.
This is a repair vehicle taken on August 22nd in La Haina, Hawaii, USA. Shen Jizhong
Multiple media outlets have reported that local police, the Red Cross, and shelters have separately listed missing persons. FBI agent Steven Merrill told media reporters that the agency is currently cross checking the list of missing persons with local governments to determine the true whereabouts of those who are missing.
![Hawaii wildfire has caused over 1100 missing persons | Wildfire | Hawaii](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/f0a4629ac604bb4413183e4f185e0b82.jpg)
According to Merrill, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has established a dedicated hotline and called on relatives of missing persons to contact this agency through the hotline. "We urgently need public help," he said.
On August 22nd, workers carried out repair work in La Haina, Hawaii, USA. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Shan
John Peltier, the director of the Maoi County Police Department, said that the county is organizing data and hopes to release a verified list of missing persons in the "next few days".
![Hawaii wildfire has caused over 1100 missing persons | Wildfire | Hawaii](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/802a51db140847a6370746455ff4a240.jpg)
According to reports, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun collecting deoxyribonucleic acid samples from relatives of missing persons who are unable to travel to Maui County due to unforeseen circumstances worldwide to determine the identity of the missing persons.
This is the wreckage burned by a wildfire captured on August 14th in La Haina, Maui Island, Hawaii, USA. Shen Jizhong
Currently, only 27 out of the 115 identified deceased have been identified. So far, the US has only collected 104 DNA samples from relatives of suspected deceased or missing individuals.
![Hawaii wildfire has caused over 1100 missing persons | Wildfire | Hawaii](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/972b681e97908eac2cc2986692dcea75.jpg)
Julie French, Vice President of ANDE, which is responsible for processing the aforementioned DNA samples, said that obtaining the DNA of relatives of missing persons is a crucial step in identity recognition. Currently, nearly three-quarters of the remains have undergone DNA testing, but without comparison with relatives' DNA, the entire process would be in vain.
This is a shelter filmed on August 15th in Maui County, Hawaii, USA. Shen Jizhong
Maoi County includes islands such as Maoi Island and Lanai Island. Maui Island is the second largest island in the Hawaiian Islands, with a population of over 100000. The wildfire burned down the resort town of La Haina on Maui Island, which has a population of about 13000. According to the Hawaii Emergency Management Department, the wildfire began on the 8th and quickly spread due to the strong winds and environmental drought caused by the hurricane. The Maui County wildfire is the deadliest wildfire in the United States for over a century.
![Hawaii wildfire has caused over 1100 missing persons | Wildfire | Hawaii](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/a9d5e1eb3e9bd4a788ec1d4d161718fc.jpg)