2 bodies identified with 3% of destroyed area searched
Two of the 89 bodies recovered from the burned-out area near Lahaina have been identified using DNA, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said.
Search crews were using dogs on Saturday to look for remains in the wreckage, he said at an evening press conference in Kahului.
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Only 3% of the destroyed area had so far been covered, he said. Twelve additional dogs were on the way to aid in the search.
He described the blaze as "a fire that melted metal," saying it had been severe enough that each recovered body will have to be identified using DNA.
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"Every one of these 89 are John and Jane Does," he said.
He asked locals to get DNA tests at a nearby facility as a way to speed up the identification process.
"We need to identify your loved ones," the chief said.