Death toll from Hawaii wildfires up to 106

LOS ANGELES, Aug 17: The death toll from the Maui wildfires in the U.S. state of Hawaii reached 106 as of Tuesday, up from 99 the day before, according to a fatality update from the County of Maui.

Only five of the 106 victims had been identified, and about 32 percent of the area has been searched so far, according to the update.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said on Monday that the death toll could rise significantly as search efforts continue.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said he hopes searchers will have covered 85 to 90 percent of the area by the weekend.

The search-and-recovery teams, consisting of 185 individuals, are working diligently to comb through the remnants of homes, businesses and historic landmarks tragically consumed by the wildfires that began on Aug. 8, according to Pelletier.

A portable morgue unit equipped with examination tables, X-ray units and laboratory equipment has arrived in Hawaii to aid in identifying and processing human remains.

According to the U.S. National Fire Protection Association, the Maui wildfires are among the deadliest in U.S. history.