A terrifying wildfire that scorched a historic Hawaiian town and left it in charred ruins has killed at least 53 people, authorities said on Thursday, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the US state’s history.
Brushfires on the west coast of Hawaii’s Maui island — fueled by high winds from a nearby hurricane — broke out on 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.
“What we’ve seen today has been catastrophic … likely the largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history,” Governor Josh Green said.
“In 1960 we had 61 fatalities when a large wave came through Big Island,” he said earlier in the day, 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,” he said.
Passenger plane captures devastating wildfires happening in Lahaina, Hawaii pic.twitter.com/uivFCUE0tD
— Latest in space (@latestinspace) August 10, 2023
