The official death toll stands at 111, but locals contacted by the Daily Mail confirmed that there are already nearly 500 dead and that the morgues are full.

And the balance of the devastating fire that broke out on Tuesday, August 8 in Hawaii, which destroyed the island of Maui, is far from definitive. Mayor Richard Bissen said only 25 percent of the city had been inspected, with previously inspected homes and cars marked with a huge orange X.

Refrigerated containers have arrived on the island to keep the remains. Many corpses are unrecognizable, there is no official communication on the number of missing but according to a rough estimate they would be at least a thousand.

Meanwhile, on social networks, some inhabitants document the horror of Maui. Dozens of families found dead at home, surprised by the flames, many dead children. Several corpses, but it would be more appropriate to say remains, were found embraced. They had understood that they had no way out, they had resigned.

Many corpses are unrecognizable, the authorities have invited the relatives of the missing to provide their DNA in order to facilitate the identification of the victims.

The body bags have run out, dozens have been shipped from the mainland, a witness told the Daily Mail.

Devastating effects on the marine ecosystem

Meanwhile, the alarm also goes off on marine ecosystems. Ashes from the fires could be lethal to coral reefs, which thrive in pollutant-free waters. Underwater invertebrates that typically feed on plankton do not have the ability to distinguish food from dirt and may ingest harmful residues.

Further damage is expected to have long-term effects on the island's ecosystems, especially as a range of other threats - from warming ocean temperatures to plastic pollution - have already weakened coral reefs, making them even more vulnerable to the consequences of the fire.

(Unioneonline/L)