53 Dead after an Inferno in the Hawaiian Islands - Thousands left Homeless

World | August 11, 2023, Friday // 10:56| views

1,000 remain missing after the fiery inferno in the Hawaiian Islands, local police said. It is clarified that this does not mean that there are that many dead and that there are many people with whom contact has not yet been established.

The death toll has reached 53 and is expected to rise further. Thus, the fiery element became the deadliest disaster on the islands since they became part of the United States.

Thousands of people were left homeless, Gov. Josh Green said, adding that 1,700 buildings were destroyed and 80 percent of the historic town of Lahaina was burned to the ground. The wildfire on Maui's west coast broke out Tuesday and spread quickly because of strong winds from a nearby hurricane.

The flames are moving so fast that many people were unprepared for the disaster - there were Lahaina residents stranded on the street or jumping into the ocean in an attempt to escape. Joe Biden issued a "major disaster declaration" for the Hawaii wildfires, freeing up recovery funds.

The death toll from fast-moving #wildfires that ripped through the #Hawaiian island of Maui has risen to 53. Officials added dozens of people were injured and over 2,000 evacuated when the fires that were whipped up by a distant hurricane began burning on Tuesday. #PlanetMatters pic.twitter.com/BGQObOdYkl
— CGTN Global Watch (@GlobalWatchCGTN) August 11, 2023