Hawaii: Fires kill 6 and evacuate thousands
Wildfires fanned by the winds of a distant hurricane killed at least six people on Wednesday, August 9 on the Hawaiian island of Maui, caused thousands of evacuations and forced some people to throw themselves into the ocean to escape the flames.
The western part of the island, including the tourist resort of Lahaina, was nearly cut off from the rest by the fire, with only one accessible highway still remaining. “It’s the worst disaster I’ve ever seen. All of Lahaina is in ashes. It’s like watching the end of the world.”Lahaina resident Mason Garvey said he was able to leave town. According to BFMTV, a state of emergency has been declared.
Complete devastation left by wildfires in Maui, Hawaii. It is no exaggeration to say that Lahaina has been wiped off the map.
Credit: Vince Carter pic.twitter.com/dlwxTNY51R
– Nahel Belgers (WxNB_) August 9, 2023
Aerial videos showed plumes of smoke rising from the city, the island’s top tourist destination. While firefighters battle three major blazes, only emergency services and evacuees have been allowed into the western part of Maui.
The fires, which began on Tuesday evening, have also swept through the main island of Hawaii. According to the state authorities, thousands of hectares burned. Ed Sneven of the Hawaii Department of Transportation said at least 4,000 tourists were trying to leave Maui. He added that although 16 routes were closed, Maui Airport was still operating, and airlines had lowered fares to accommodate evacuations. Some people were forced to jump into the Pacific Ocean to escape the smoke and fires, forcing the US Coast Guard to organize rescue operations, according to a statement from Maui County.
? News – #United State : the # fires raging on an island # Shelter In addition from# Hawaiiwhich was exacerbated by the strong winds of#tornado #dora. The authorities provisionally announced 6 deaths and numerous material damages. # Hawaii # Hawaii pic.twitter.com/8dC4EOxJyZ
– FranceNews24 (@FranceNews24) August 10, 2023
Evacuation efforts have been complicated by power outages and disrupted cell phone service, said Sylvia Locke, deputy governor of Hawaii, as the western part of Maui can only be contacted by satellite. US President Joe Biden ordered it “All available federal resources on (the archipelago) are involved in the intervention.” Authorities said winds from Hurricane Dora – which was 1,380 km (1,380 km) southwest of Honolulu as of 11 a.m. local time (2100 GMT) – fueled the fires that have ravaged the state.
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