Filipino mother, son among those killed in Hawaii wildfires —kin

NEW YORK — Two more Filipinos have been added to the count of recovered bodies in the ongoing search and recovery operation following the wildfires that ravaged Lahaina in Hawaii.

Edna Sagudang said her mother, Conchita, and her elder brother, Danilo, both from the province of Abra, were identified by forensic experts in Lahaina.

The two victims, according to Edna in a Facebook post, died while attempting to escape the wildfire in the Paunau Subdivision in Lahaina.

In her post, Edna expressed gratitude to her friends and family who participated in the search for her mother and brother when they were initially reported missing.

"I want to send out a big Mahalo to everyone, especially family and friends, who put in their time and effort to help look for them and have sent us love and prayers," Edna said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that a 79-year-old Filipino was among the over 100 fatalities in the wildfires.

The recovered death toll has now reached 114, with the Maui Coroner's Office establishing a command post to process the bodies found. The American Red Cross has initiated a mass fatality operation to expedite the identification of the recovered bodies.

There are still around 1,000 individuals missing, and authorities do not yet have a definitive list of how many are unaccounted for. However, they are hopeful that the number of missing will decrease as power lines and communication are gradually restored in the area.

Authorities still hold hope that some of the reported missing individuals are alive and will be able to contact their loved ones once communication lines return to normal. —KBK, GMA Integrated News