14 Filipinos confirmed dead in Maui wildfire, several still missing

NEW YORK - A total of 14 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans have been confirmed to have died in the recent wildfire in Maui, Hawaii.

Hawaii Consul General Emil Fernandez said another Filipino has been added to the list, 48-year-old Glenda Yabes from Ilocos province.

Seven other members of the Yabes household are still missing, namely: Angelic Baclig, Joel and Adela Villegas, Junmark and Felimon Quijano, Lydia Coloma, and Luz Bernabe.

The other Filipinos identified by the consulate based on their records are: Rogelio Mabalot, 68, Salvador Coloma, 77, and Rodulfo Rocutan, 76, all of whom are from Ilocos.

Ten Filipino-Americans are among the 55 fatalities that have been identified by authorities, these are: Conchita, 74, and Danilo Sagudang, 55, Narciso, 67, and Vanessa Baylosis, 67, Carlo Tobias, 54, Joseph Lara, 86, Buddy Jantoc, Alfredo Galinato, 79, Pablo Pagdilao, 75, who is allegedly related to the Pagdilao family in Pinili, Ilocos Norte, and 50-year-old Eugene Recolizado originally from San Juan, Metro Manila.

Recolizado's wife, Victoria, and their child, Justine, are still missing.

While the search and recovery operation is nearing completion, many individuals remain unaccounted for.

Out of 115 bodies recovered, only 55 have been identified and the names were released by the County of Maui and the Maui Police Department (MPD).

"It is with a heavy heart that the County of Maui and the Maui Police Department confirm the following identities of the victims involved in the West Maui Wildfire incident. Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and community affected by this devastating event," the County of Maui and the Maui Police Department (MPD) said in a statement.

"The MPD and assisting partners have been working to ensure that proper protocols are followed while notifying the families of the victims involved. Our priority is to handle this situation with the utmost sensitivity and respect for those who are grieving." — BAP, GMA Integrated News