Maui wildfires live updates: Death toll hits 99 as Hawaii governor predicts it will rise by 10 to 20 each day
Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned people that the death toll may increase by 10 to 20 people per day as officials continue to search for survivors and victims.
“We are prepared for many tragic stories,” Mr Green told CBS on Monday.“They will find 10 to 20 people per day, probably, until they finish. And it’s probably going to take 10 days. It’s impossible to guess, really.”
Firefighters in Maui are working around the clock to try and contain the flare-ups as local authorities work with federal agencies to identify people who died in the devastating fires.
So far, 99 people have died, making the wildfires the deadliest in US modern history.
Most of those victims have not been identified due to the state of their bodies after the blaze. Maui police chief John Pelletier urged residents with missing family members to submit their DNA to help with identification.
The harsh conditions have made search and recovery difficult. Cadaver dogs have only probed approximately 3 per cent of the search area, they are expected to continue their efforts this week.
