At least 36 killed as wildfires tear through Maui island in Hawaii - BBC News

Summary:

• Wildfires in Hawaii's Maui island have claimed at least 36 lives and caused extensive destruction in the tourist town of Lahaina.
• Firefighters are struggling to control the fast-moving flames, and survivors have described harrowing escapes from the firestorm.
• Efforts are underway to provide accommodations and support for evacuees, with the community coming together to help those in need.
• The wildfires have led to hotel evacuations and significant property damage, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the disaster.

Within the last hour, it's emerged that the death toll from the wildfires in the US state of Hawaii has risen to at least 36 people. Large parts of the tourist town of Lahaina on the island of Maui have been burned to the ground. Firefighters are still trying to get the fires under control. There were reports some people had jumped into the ocean to escape the fast-moving flames. This is the aftermath of the wildfires, officials said. It is still difficult to determine the true extent of the damage on Maui and have warned the death toll may rise. James Tokioka, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism in Hawaii has just given this update.

A Devastating Day in Hawaii

It's a very, very sad day in Hawaii. It's devastating and I know many families on Maui are struggling right now as well as many family members across the state. So we want to send our heartfelt aloha to them and our prayers to them. I'm going to talk with two hats on. So from here at the convention center, we set up to accommodate 2,000 people. As the planes are leaving from Maui, we realized that some of the people, in fact, a lot of the people that were coming to Oahu from Maui had made their own accommodations. We have a set up here that would accommodate 2,000 people.

Acknowledging Efforts and Partnerships

I want to really thank the team here because Terry Orton from the convention center was here at four o'clock in the morning setting up and they're doing an incredible job. Kalanika Anaana was up all night here at HTA, Daniel Nahuo Pili. So really want to thank them for all of the work that they did. The Red Cross has been here helping as a partner, Nikki from the Red Cross. So thank you to all of those people. John Monahan and Jerry Gibson have been working with the hotels to make sure when guests get here that they know which hotels have availability and get them to the hotels. What we also know is that the hotels that had occupancy this morning, most of them don't have that occupancy right now.

Survivors Describe Escape

Our survivors have also been describing their escape from the fires. I was the last one off the dock when the firestorm came through the Banyan Trees and took everything with it. And I just ran after it. I ran south and just helped everybody I could along the way. You gotta know when you can. Got home about four o'clock yesterday from work, smoke in town. My son and his girlfriend and two kids were at the house and we evacuated immediately. No cell phone coverage, no internet, no way to contact the outside world. And we got to this side of the island about midnight last night.

Evacuation and Destruction

My wife and dog slept in the parking lot and whole foods. Woke up this morning and got on our phones to pictures of our house just down to the slab. Nothing but smoke. The winds picked up, everything just flew our way. The apartment complex is right above the aquatic center. So we thought we were okay but then the wind came, the gas stations blew up, everything caught fire by the brush and then we just had to evacuate.

The wildfires continue to rage on Maui, leaving devastation in their wake. The efforts of emergency responders, volunteers, and the community are ongoing as they work to contain the fires and support those affected. The true extent of the damage is still being assessed, and officials remain concerned that the death toll could further increase.