KAHULUI (United States): Fast-moving wildfires have claimed at least 36 lives in the US tourist paradise of Hawaii, where rescuers raced Thursday to evacuate more people from the worst-hit island of Maui.
Brushfires on Maui’s west coast — fueled by high winds from a hurricane passing to the south — broke out Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the seaside town of Lahaina.
The quick-moving flames forced many to flee into the ocean to escape, officials said.
Residents said they needed more help and feared it would take years for the town to recover.
US Coast Guard commander Aja Kirksey told CNN that initial reports indicated there “were around 100 that had to enter the water.”
Kirksey said helicopters dispatched to the area faced extremely low visibility due to the smoke, but that a Coast Guard vessel had been able to retrieve more than 50 people from the water.
“It was a really rapidly developing scene and pretty harrowing for the victims that had to jump into the water,” she added.
For resident Kekoa Lansford, the official response was lacking.
“We have been pulling people out since last night. We’re trying to save people’s lives, and I feel like we are not getting the help we need,” Lansford told AFP.
“We still get dead bodies in the water floating and on the seawall. They’ve been sitting there since last night.”
Aerial photographs of Lahaina, which served as the Hawaiian kingdom’s capital in the early 19th century, showed entire blocks reduced to cinders.
Officials said 36 people had been confirmed dead, with the toll expected to rise as searches continue.
“With lives lost and properties decimated, we are grieving with each other during this inconsolable time,” Mayor Richard Bissen said in a video posted to Facebook.
“In the days ahead, we will be stronger as a (community)...” he added, “as we rebuild with resilience and aloha.”
Thousands of people have been evacuated from Maui, with plans for more flights out of the main airport in Kahului on Thursday.
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