The death toll from the wildfires in Hawaii, the deadliest in more than a century in the United States, has risen to 99 and “could double” this week, authorities warned Monday.
“In the next ten days, this number could double,” Hawaii Governor Josh Green told CNN television, announcing the discovery of three more bodies.
According to the governor, most of the bodies found to date are found near the coastline or in the ocean. Dozens of people jumped into the water to escape the flames.
“We are being crushed by the circumstances of climate change and tragedy at the same time,” Green lamented.
In the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui, the fire was so intense that it melted metal. Police are urging relatives of missing people to take a DNA test to help identify the bodies.
According to the governor, 1,300 people are still missing. This number is dwindling as communications are gradually restored on Maui and residents are able to locate family members.
During the fires, official announcements on television, radio and mobile phones proved useless for many inhabitants without electricity or the electrical grid. The alarm sirens remained silent.
An investigation was opened to analyze the management of the crisis.
These fires occur in a summer marked by extreme events around the world, linked to global warming, according to experts, including large forest fires in Canada.
In addition to searching for bodies, Maui’s other challenge now is feeding and sheltering the thousands of survivors.
In Kahului, on the north coast of the island, several renowned chefs are preparing 9,000 meals a day, with the help of an army of volunteers.
“Some of our chiefs have lost their homes [no incêndio] and they are here with us, cooking for the people. This gives us an idea of what this ‘Aloha’ spirit is,” Sheldon Simeon, one of them, told Agence France-Presse (AFP), referring to the Hawaiian philosophy of life.
According to the authorities, the damage caused by the fire in Lahaina, the former capital of the archipelago and one of the most touristic areas of Hawaii, should amount to 5,520 million dollars (4,800 million euros).
Source: TSF
