Long wait seen to check Pinoys' status in Maui, Hawaii after wildfires

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Filipino community on Maui Island in Hawaii anticipates a long wait to determine the status of Pinoys affected by the wildfires as local authorities are still busy processing the vast areas devastated.

This was according to Kit Zulueta Furukawa, director of the Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce.

The authorities in Maui have advised families with missing relatives to submit their DNA for matching with the recovered bodies.

“Ang priority ng local authorities dito is the safety of the first responder and to secure the area... I think there are efforts that will come eventually for [a] list of names. Hindi ko rin alam eh, I'm no expert but this is fire burned victims so I can see reports of experts flown in from other places. Like I mentioned, they are bringing experts with expertise in identifying bodies," Furukawa told GMA Integrated News.

Meanwhile, search and recovery teams are leaving orange X marks on houses they have checked as they continue to look for human remains in areas where they have recovered burnt bodies.

The US Army National Guard is controlling ground zero to secure the areas and bodies that forensic experts need to see before these are recovered, as some of them are unrecognizable with body parts separated due to the severity of the fire.

Forensic anthropologists who are experienced in identifying burnt bodies are arriving on Maui Island one by one.

Several Filipino-Americans who are members of the US Army National Guard are part of the search and recovery teams.

Sergeant Angelo Onangan mentioned that the search and recovery area is extensive, and the focus is currently on rescuing and searching for people still in the burned areas.

"Today is basically going to be mostly rescue and search for the people that are currently still in the burnt area. We're trying to mitigate people that are coming in, looking for their families and making sure everybody is accounted for... At the moment, there are a lot of people that are still missing. They couldn't get a hold of their family members," Onangan said.

According to a statement from the County of Maui, around nine emergency shelters are accommodating affected tourists and residents.

The county is also setting up a Family Assistance Center for families looking for their loved ones.

Reportedly, 90% of the wildfires have already been placed under control. —KG, GMA Integrated News