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Maui Death Toll Climbs to 93


Members of a search-and-rescue team walk along a street, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii, following heavy damage caused by wildfire.
Members of a search-and-rescue team walk along a street, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii, following heavy damage caused by wildfire.

The death toll from the fire on the Hawaiian island of Maui climbed to 93 late Saturday, and officials say they expect the count to continue to climb.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said two of the victims have been identified but he did not release their names.

Identifying the fragile, burned remains has been difficult, Pelletier said. “We pick up the remains,” he said, “and they fall apart.”

Saturday was the first day that cadaver-sniffing dogs were used.

Lahaina, a historic, centuries-old resort town on the island was totally destroyed.

Island residents have complained that the sirens designed to warn them of an emergency were never activated as the fire steadily spread. Hawaii Governor Josh Green has promised there will be an investigation into the island’s emergency response.

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