The yellow letters reveal the tragedy in Hawaii
Emil Forsberg
Updated 21:57 | Published 21:11
News
The forest fire in Hawaii is the deadliest in the United States in a hundred years.
At least 93 people have lost their lives and the search is still ongoing.
Orange and yellow letters reveal that the death toll may rise.
The historic city of Lahaina no longer exists, Mayor Richard Bissen told CNN.
All that remains are ashes and ruins.
Rescue workers are now walking around the city, once home to 11,000 residents, with orange and yellow crayons.
Destroyed homes are marked with the letter "X" to indicate that an initial search has been made and "HR" to indicate that human remains have been found.
A searched car marked with an X.
1 / 2Photo: Rick Bowmer/AP
Extremely difficult to identify
With tears in his throat, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier described the work, which was hampered by melting metal and making the bodies extremely difficult to identify.
- We know that we have to move quickly to identify the victims with DNA, but we also have to do it right, he says at a press conference and continues:
- So when we pick up the remains and they fall apart while 200 people run around the area... Then that's exactly what you step on. I don't know how much more you want me to describe it.
Pelletier also warns that the number of dead may rise.
- None of us knows how big the scope is.
"No Go Zone"
Lahaina was worst hit when the fires broke out and now resembles a war zone, with more than 1,000 buildings burned to the ground, Sky News reports.
Survivors have testified how quickly the fire spread and the situation was made worse by strong winds and parched ground.
Several people were forced to throw themselves into the sea and wait for rescue as cars exploded around them.
The city is now a "no go zone" and is described as a dangerous area with toxic fumes and polluted water.
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