The aftermath of the Maui fire – photograph by Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources/Handout via REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines — Emergency consular services in Maui have concluded without any requests for repatriation from Filipinos affected by the catastrophic wildfires, according to Philippine Consul General in Honolulu Emilio Fernandez.
In a statement to INQUIRER.net, Fernandez noted that while no repatriation requests were made, many Filipinos affected by the wildfires sought assistance after losing their homes and belongings.
“A team from the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu was present in Maui on August 15 and 16 to provide emergency consular services to 66 individuals, primarily residents of Lahaina who had lost their homes and personal belongings, including their Philippine passports. However, no requests for repatriation were made,” Fernandez stated on Monday.
Fernandez stated that the two-day consular services in Maui have been completed, but another team will return to the area in September to provide further assistance to those in need.
According to Fernandez, the death toll from the fires has risen to 114, as reported by Maui County officials. One of the identified casualties is Alfredo Galinato, a 79-year-old naturalized United States Citizen from Ilocos.
The other victims are as follows:
- Melva Benjamin, 71
- Virginia Dofa, 90
- Robert Dyckman, 74
- Buddy Jantoc, 79
- Donna Gomes, 71
“All of the victims were residents of Lahaina. Four additional victims have been identified, but their families have not been located or notified,” Fernandez added.
Fernandez mentioned that about 60 percent of the restricted area in Lahaina has been searched for bodies. As of August 18, firefighters have contained 89 percent of the Lahaina fire, 80 percent of the Kula fire, and 100 percent of the Pulehu fire.
“The three wildfires have burned an estimated five square miles thus far,” Fernandez concluded.
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
