The balance of the large wildfires in the North American archipelago of Hawaii has risen to 53 deaths, the authorities of the county of Maui, the most affected island, announced.
Local authorities had said in the morning that the fire in Lahaina was 80% under control and there were no changes, according to the new statement.
The fire has already destroyed much of the resort town of Lahaina on Maui’s west coast.
Fires on the west coast of the Hawaiian island of Maui – fueled by hurricane-force winds – started Tuesday and quickly reached Lahaina.
The progress of the fire was so rapid that many people were taken by surprise, some even jumping into the sea in a desperate attempt to escape the flames.
“It looks like someone bombed the whole city. It’s completely destroyed,” reported Canadian Brandon Wilson, who traveled to Hawaii with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, but tried to get a flight at the airport.
“It was very hard to see,” he said, not hiding his emotion. “People have lost their homes, their lives and their livelihoods,” he stressed.
UNCUT never before scene footage of wildfires in Maui. Cinematic scenes Driving through the inferno, aerial helicopter footage of the aftermath of the fire that got out of hand. #mauifires from an empirical point of view. pic.twitter.com/CNSMYNk5s5
— Erin Elizabeth Health Nut News (@unhealthytruth) August 11, 2023
Lahaina – Maui Before and After Photos. This was created by a direct energy weapon DEW, the same as the Paradise fires in California. Both fires look the same with trees still standing and everything else burned. Not a normal fire. pic.twitter.com/qbSSj884gS
– Qmum (@Nancy023922191) August 11, 2023
The previous official balance was 26 dead and thousands displaced.
The fires also hit Kula, another part of the island of Maui, and the Kohala Peninsula on the island of Hawaii.
‘Probably the largest natural disaster in the history of the state of Hawaii’
US authorities have declared a state of emergency and Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke said Maui’s hospital network was overwhelmed by the influx of patients with burns or smoke inhalation.
“What we saw was catastrophic…probably the worst natural disaster in the history of the state of Hawaii,” said Governor Josh Green.
“In 1960, there were 61 deaths when a big wave swept over the Big Island,” the governor recalled, referring to a tragedy that happened a year after Hawaii became the 50th state in the US. “It is very likely that our death toll is now significantly higher than” the figures of the 1960 tragedy.
Maui fire – the aftermath – the stories. pic.twitter.com/hH3uP0mCIh
-Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline) August 11, 2023
Photos taken by an AFP photographer flying over Lahaina show the city was in ruins. The governor indicated that 80% of the city had disappeared.
Thousands of people have been displaced and a major operation is underway to find shelter for the displaced, Governor Josh Green added.
President Joe Biden declared a state of catastrophe and unblocked federal aid for relief operations, with reconstruction expected to take years.
Escape to the sea in a desperate attempt to escape the flames
US Coast Guard Commander Aja L. Kirksey told CNN about 100 people reportedly jumped into the water in a desperate attempt to escape the fast-moving flames as they raced through Lahaina.
Kirksey said helicopter pilots had difficulty with visibility due to thick smoke, but a Coast Guard vessel was able to rescue more than 50 people from the water.
“It was a scene that developed quickly and was quite distressing for the victims who had to jump into the water,” he added.
“We found bodies floating in the water,” resident Kekoa Lansford told CBS. “We’ve been evacuating people … We’re trying to save people’s lives and I feel like we’re not getting the help we need,” he said.
The governor said about 1,700 buildings were affected by the fire. “With lives lost and property decimated, we mourn together at this inconsolable time,” said Maui Mayor Richard Bissen.
“In the days to come, we will be stronger as a community as we rebuild with resilience and aloha,” added Bissen.
Thousands of people have already been evacuated from Maui, with 1,400 people at Kahului’s main airport overnight, hoping to leave the archipelago.
Maui County urged tourists to leave “as soon as possible” and organized buses to transport the displaced from the shelters to the airport.
Source: DN
