The death toll from the wildfire that devastated the historic Maui town of Lahaina last summer has risen to 100 after a 78-year-old woman injured in the disaster died last month, officials said Tuesday.
HAWAII WILDFIRE RAVAGES OAHU'S NATIVE RAINFOREST, POSING THREAT TO FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS
The victim was among those who had been flown to Oahu after the Aug. 8 wildfire, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, Maui police spokesperson Alana Pico said in an email.
The woman died Sept. 4, said Honolulu Medical Examiner Dr. Masahiko Kobayashi. His office previously provided an incorrect date.
Authorities have identified 99 victims in a process that has proved long and complicated. Forensic experts and cadaver dogs sifted through ash searching for bodies that were possibly cremated, and authorities collected DNA samples from victims’ family members.
The youngest victim was 7 and the oldest was 97. Several were residents of a low-income senior apartment complex. Of the victims, 44 were 70 or older.
