2023-08-12 05:03:43
Sixty-seven people have died in the worst wildfire in history on the Hawaiian island of Maui, and the fast-moving wildfire has devastated the historic town of Lahaina. Multiple search and rescue teams are still scouring the smoldering wreckage as local officials try to figure out why sirens were not being sounded as the fire spread rapidly.
Sixty-seven people have died in the worst wildfire in history on the Hawaiian island of Maui, as the fast-moving wildfire torched the historic town of Lahaina. (Office of the Governor Hawaii Josh Green/Archyde.com)
The blaze is the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii state history, surpassing the 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people on Hawaii’s Big Island. Hawaii officially became the 50th state of the United States in 1959.
Officials warned that search and rescue teams with cadaver dogs continued to find the dead. The fire torched regarding 1,000 buildings and left thousands homeless. Reconstruction might take years and cost money Billions of dollars.
“No one has entered any of the buildings that have burned, and unfortunately we expect the death toll to climb significantly,” Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii told MSNBC.
A fast-moving wildfire has destroyed thousands of buildings in the historic town of Lahaina, Hawaii, leaving thousands of residents homeless.Associated Press
Three days into the disaster, it remains unclear whether some residents received any warnings before the blaze engulfed their homes. Emergency sirens are in place on Maui to warn of natural disasters and other threats, but they did not appear to have sounded during the fire.
“I authorized a full inspection this morning to make sure we know exactly what happened and when,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told CNN of the emergency sirens. Officials did not elaborate. What notifications are given and whether they are by text message, email or phone call.
Greene described the multiple challenges that are present at the same time. When Lahaina faced the threat of this wildfire, not only communication was lost, but firefighters were also focusing on fighting other major wildfires. In any case, he said: “We will do everything in our power to find ways to better protect our people in the future.”
Editor: Qin Yingwen
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