C T Online Desk: KAHULUI, United States, Aug 11, 2023 (AFP) – The death toll from a terrifying wildfire that razed a historic Hawaiian town hit 53 Thursday, making it one of the deadliest disasters to strike the islands since they became a US state.
Brushfires on the west coast of Hawaii’s Maui island — fueled by high winds from a nearby hurricane — broke out Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the seaside town of Lahaina.
The flames moved so quickly that many were caught off-guard, trapped in the streets or jumping into the ocean in a desperate bid to escape.
“In 1960 we had 61 fatalities when a large wave came through Big Island,” Governor Josh Green said, referring to a tragedy that struck a year after Hawaii became the 50th US state.
“This time, it’s very likely that our death totals will significantly exceed that.”
Officials in Maui County said Thursday the confirmed number of dead now stood at 53, and firefighters were still battling the blaze.
Lahaina on Thursday lay in charred, smoking ruins, with Green saying 80 percent of the town was gone.
“There is no doubt everyone would describe this as though a bomb hit Lahaina,” he said. “It looks like total devastation; buildings that we’ve all enjoyed and celebrated together for decades, for generations, are completely destroyed.”
President Joe Biden on Thursday declared the fires a “major disaster” and unblocked federal aid for relief efforts, as residents said they needed more help in a recovery that could take years.
