Maui authorities are drastically downplaying the true number of casualties of the wildfires that swept through Lahaina last week, with the actual death toll believed to be at least 480, according to locals.
The official death toll as of Saturday is 114, but Maui locals like Allisen Medina told The Daily Mail on Friday that authorities are concealing the true number of dead, which she claims is over four times higher.
“People have been doing their own recovery. I know there are at least 480 dead here in Maui and I don’t understand why they’re [the authorities] not saying that. Maybe it’s to do with DNA or something,” she said.
She also claimed that the morgues have run out of body bags and needed to ship more in from the mainland.
“I do know they ran out of body bags by the first or second night and had to ship some in from the mainland,” she added.
“I have a personal friend who lost her parents, sister and her 10-year-old nephew. She went in [to Lahaina] and saw them there.”
Medina also questioned the government’s slow and inept response to the horrific disaster.
“100 percent not enough is being done so people are doing it themselves. The Government, relief organizations – they’re not doing anything,” she said. “We have the right to know what’s going on. FEMA came here to help with the recovery [process] but we don’t see them. The Red Cross arrived four days late and they’re not doing anything. They’re supposed to help and not just stand around.”
🔥HELP Maui Rise🔥The people NEED help!
A shuttle driver works part time at the morgue and reports:
💥480 confirmed dead
💥800 more body bags ordered
💥This is after going through only 13% of Lahaina houses to find the dead.
💥Complete families & children have been found… https://t.co/l0OETiW9gU pic.twitter.com/b23cZHatvm— Louisa Clary (@louisaclary) August 16, 2023
