The first names of people killed by wildfires in Maui have been released by officials, one week after at least 106 people died on the Hawaiian island.
Just two people – Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79 – were named.
Three others were identified but their names are being withheld until their families are notified.
The catastrophic fire, which destroyed the historic town of Lahaina within hours, has been followed by a slow and gruelling search for victims.
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Jantoc’s body was reported discovered at his home in a senior-living facility in Lahaina
Relatives told the newspaper that he was known by family as “Mr Aloha” and regale
d them with tales of his heyday as a bass guitarist playing alongside Carlos Santana and George Benson.
Twenty sniffer dogs trained to detect bodies have led teams on a block-by-block search of the wreckage, a 5sq mile (13sq km) area now filled with twisted metal and other debris.
As of Tuesday evening, 27% of the disaster site had been searched, Governor Josh Green said in a televised address.
He said the number of dead could climb significantly and even double over the next 10 days.
Officials must then complete the difficult work of identifying the dead, a process complicated by the severity of the victims’ burns and one that requires DNA samples and forensic experts.
Editor Oloyede Oworu
