The death toll in the wildfires on the island of Maui has risen to 89 people, as announced last night (between Saturday and Sunday) by the Governor of Hawaii, Josh Green. This is the deadliest disaster in the United States in the past 100 years. According to initial estimates, the cost of damages is already estimated at around $5.5 billion.
As a reminder, the wildfires on the island broke out during the night between Wednesday and Thursday last week. According to estimates, 7 fires erupted in various areas across the island within a short period of time. The flames spread rapidly due to strong winds recorded in the aftermath of Hurricane "Dora," which was south of Hawaii but did not make landfall.
Green cautioned that the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams continue to search for hundreds of missing individuals. "Until now, most of the victims were found on the streets of the town, and only now are the rescue forces beginning to search within the thousands of destroyed homes," Green told CNN. "Without a doubt, additional victims will be discovered. We cannot estimate the final death toll."
Almost the entire resort town of Lahaina was devastated by the fire. It once served as the capital of Hawaii before the islands became one of the 50 states in the US. "The town was almost completely destroyed, it's apocalyptic scenes," said Senator Brian Schatz, who represents Hawaii in the American Congress. Due to the fires, the roads leading to the town were blocked, and people reported jumping into the sea to escape the flames.