The death toll has now crossed 100 people after deadly wildfires raged through the town of Lahaina and officials Tuesday announced that a makeshift morgue was expanded to deal with the tragedy.
Governor Josh Green of Maui warns that the Lahaina wildfires, the worst US wildfire in over a century, could significantly increase the death toll, urging Hawaiians to prepare for a potential two or three-times higher number.
“101 lives have now been lost,” he said, adding that over a quarter of the disaster zone has been searched by dogs trained to sniff for bodies, AFP reported.
The Maui Police Forensic Facility is using refrigerated containers as temporary mortuaries amid a massive number of fatalities on the rural island.
Locals fear wealthy developers may exploit people’s desperation to buy up plots for luxury homes or short-term rentals, while Green warns against any land grab in the destroyed Lahaina remnants.
“Our goal is to have a local commitment — forever — to this community, as we rebuild,” he said. “So we will be making sure that we do all that we can to prevent that land from falling into the hands of people from the outside.”
