MAUI, Hawaii
At least 36 people have died
as fast-moving wildfires tear through the Hawaiian island of Maui, officials
say.
The deaths in the city of
Lahaina, the island's main tourist destination, came as strong winds from a
distant hurricane fanned the flames.
The fire is one of several
ongoing blazes that have burnt entire neighbourhoods to the ground.
Thousands of people have been
forced to evacuate their homes and a state of emergency has been declared.
A huge search and rescue
operation is under way, with some people still unaccounted for.
"We barely made it out in
time," Kamuela Kawaakoa, who fled to an evacuation shelter on Tuesday with
his partner and six-year-old son, told the Associated Press.
"It was so hard to sit
there and just watch my town burn to ashes and not be able to do
anything," he said. "I was helpless."
Five evacuation shelters have
been opened on Maui and officials earlier said they were "overrun"
with people. The island is a popular tourist destination and visitors have been
urged to stay away.
"This is not a safe place to be," Hawaii Lt Governor Sylvia Luke told reporters. "We have resources that are being taxed."
Firefighters are still
battling active fires, with helicopters dropping water on the blazes from
above.
The western side of the
island, which is the second largest of the Hawaiian archipelago, was almost cut
off entirely with only one main road open.
"As the firefighting
efforts continue, 36 total fatalities have been discovered today amid the
active Lahaina fire," the Maui county government said in a statement late
on Wednesday.
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