Catastrophic damage in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii from wildfires that raged Aug. 8, 2023<\/p>\n
Nearly a month after catastrophic wildfires devastated the Hawaiian paradise of Maui, a disturbing mystery remains as hundreds of people, including an unknown number of children, are still missing, while a journalist on the island says local residents are being \u201croyally screwed\u201d by all governments, with some victims arrested for trying to visit their own homes.<\/p>\n
At least 115 people were killed in the Aug. 8 blaze that razed the tourist town of Lahaina, making it the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century.<\/p>\n
More than 3,000 individuals have reportedly been found safe after being previously unaccounted for, and the latest official figures indicate 385 names on this list<\/a> are still missing.<\/p>\n While officials hope many on the missing list are fine and just haven\u2019t checked in with emergency personnel, there\u2019s a palpable fear many are not well.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re releasing this list \u2026 because we know it will help the investigation,\u201d said Maui Police Chief John Pelletier, in a video message posted online Thursday night. \u201cWe\u2019re also balancing that because we know when this list comes out, it can and will cause pain for some folks.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cThis is not an easy thing to do, but we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very thankful for the people who have reached out by phone or email,\u201d Steven Merrill, the FBI\u2019s special agent in charge in Honolulu, said at a news conference.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we get someone off of a list, this has enabled us to devote more resources to those who are still on the list.\u201d<\/p>\n But journalist Nick Sortor is now painting an unnerving picture of what\u2019s happening on the island.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning again from Maui, where residents are being ROYALLY screwed by local, state, and federal governments,\u201d he posted<\/a> Sunday on X, formerly Twitter.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are COUNTLESS important issues to note, but here are just a handful:<\/p>\n \u201c1. The town of Lahaina is being INCREASINGLY fortified, and there are police & military checkpoints at literally every corner<\/p>\n \u201c2. Residents are starting to become literally impoverished due to all the shutdowns.<\/p>\n \u201c3. The government has put TENS OF THOUSANDS of people out of work and countless people are about to be forced into bankruptcy.<\/p>\n \u201c4. Federal aid is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get.<\/p>\n \u201c5. THE GOVERNMENT STILL WON\u2019T DISCLOSE THE AMOUNT OF CHILDREN MISSING OR DEAD.<\/p>\n \u201c6. The \u2018official\u2019 number of people missing keeps changing and seems to be based on TOTAL LIES.<\/p>\n \u201c7. RESIDENTS ARE LITERALLY BEING ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTING TO VISIT THEIR OWN HOMES.<\/p>\n Sortor concludes with: \u201cMARK MY WORDS: We WILL get to the bottom of all this. I\u2019m putting together a team of local residents & journalists to make it happen. WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT HIDING? WHY DO THEY KEEP LYING TO THE GREAT PEOPLE OF MAUI?\u201d<\/p>\n Good morning again from Maui, where residents are being ROYALLY screwed by local, state, and federal governments.<\/p>\n There are COUNTLESS important issues to note, but here are just a handful:<\/p>\n 1. The town of Lahaina is being INCREASINGLY fortified, and there are police & military\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/7WpS9jY7H7<\/a><\/p>\n — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 3, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n