At least 80 dead - worst disaster ever

 

Hawaii

At least 80 dead in Hawaii - deadliest natural disaster ever  

 

Nahritha Al-Khameesi  

 

Posted 12:20 p.m  

 

News  

 

At least 80 people have died during the wildfires in Hawaii. 

 

It is the deadliest natural disaster ever in the state. 

 

"The death toll is likely to rise as emergency services search buildings for victims," Maui Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. said.  

 

Now the death toll has risen to at least 80 people - the wildfires are thus the deadliest natural disaster in the state since a tsunami killed 61 people on the Big Island in 1960, reports Sky News.

 

The severe forest fires continue to ravage Hawaii.Emergency services search the ruins of the historically significant town of Lahaina on the island of Maui. The search is carried out with, among other things, cadaver dogs. 

 

"The death toll is likely to rise as rescue teams search buildings for victims," Maui Mayor Richard T. Bissen Jr. said. to NBC's "Today" show on Friday.  

 

Thousands of people have been forced to flee and over 1,000 buildings have burned down. Firefighters have extinguished 85 percent of the fire in Lahaina but only 50 percent of the fire in Upcountry Maui.  

 

 

Devastation in the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui. 

1 / 2Photo: AP 

 

"War Zone"  

 

About 400 sirens are deployed in Hawaii to warn of natural disasters. But the alarm does not seem to have worked in connection with the forest fires.  

 

The residents said they did not hear any alarm and only became aware of the fires when they saw flames or heard explosions.  

 

- There was no warning, there was absolutely none. We didn't see fire engines or anything like that, Lynn Robinson, who lost her home in the fire, told Sky News.  

 

The fire service has announced that the speed of the fire made it "almost impossible" to communicate with officials who would normally issue evacuation orders. Cell phone signal outages also appear to have hampered emergency response. 

 

- It hit so fast, it was unbelievable. It was like a war zone, one woman told the newspaper.