President Biden and First Lady arrive in Maui
The number of people still missing from the Maui wildfires has now risen to 1,100 – more than two weeks after a deadly blaze tore through the historic town of Lahaina.
Officials announced on Tuesday that between 1,000 and 1,100 remain unaccounted for while 115 are confirmed dead. Over the weekend, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said around 850 people were still missing.
Steven Merrill, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Honolulu field office said the number is expected to fluctuate but “the number that we’re most concerned about is, obviously, trying to clear people from the list. And that has reliably gone down every day.”
After facing criticism for his response, President Joe Biden met with first responders and survivors on Monday and promised that the federal government would be with them “for as long as it takes” to rebuild the community.
“May God bless all those we’ve lost, may God find those who we haven’t determined yet, and may God bless you all,” he said.
However, locals are voicing fears of possible land grabs by realtors and investors – which will push Hawaiian locals from the island.
