Sixty survivors found alive sheltering in Maui home as search enters tenth day

Maui County announced miraculous rescue of survivors as death toll increases

Sixty survivors of the Maui wildfires were rescued from a single home that had been cut off since wildfires swept through the Hawaiian island, officials say.

The large group had sheltered in an isolated residence in western Maui that had been without electricity and cell phone coverage since 8 August, Maui County mayor Richard Bisset said.

Mr Bisset revealed details of the extraordinary rescue as the death toll from the deadly wildfires rose to 111.

“We discovered yesterday that there was a family that was housing 60 people at a home on the west side, and many of those folks were unaccounted for, and they’ve now been reunited with their families,” Mr Bisset said.

The group was without phones, power and internet, according to Maui police chief John Pelletier.

No further details were immediately available about the survivors’ conditions or where they were found.

As the painstaking search and rescue efforts continue, officials estimate that 1,300 Maui residents remain unaccounted for.

Hawaii governor Josh Green said just 35 per cent of burned-out areas had been searched, and he expects the death toll to rise in the coming days.

Hundreds of specialist Federal Emergency Management Agency officers have arrived on the island, along with at least 40 cadaver dogs, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said at a White House briefing on Wednesday.

A resident walks through the ruins of a house destroyed by the Lahaina Fire (EPA)

Only five of the victims had been identified by Tuesday afternoon, and a mobile morgue unit with 30 coroners has arrived in Hawaii to help sift through remains, Ms Criswell said.

“We’re working carefully to search the affected areas thoroughly and compassionately while respecting all of the cultural sensitivities.”

Maui was facing a “very long and hard recovery”, she added.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) had paid out $2.3m to displaced households, but only 1,300 families had signed up for the payments, Ms Criswell said.

Assistance was available for emergency payments for house repairs, cars and appliances. Ms Criswell urged anyone impacted by the wildfires to sign up at FEMA’s website or by calling 1-800- 621-3362.

Robert Dyckman and Buddy Jantoc, both from Lahaina, were among the first victims of the fires to be identified by the County of Maui earlier this week.

Three more people were identified on Wednesday, 16 August, after officials notified their families.

President Joe Biden plans to travel to Maui with First Lady Jill Biden on 21 August to inspect the affected areas and victims and officials involved in the recovery operation.