The fires are still raging on the island of Maui in Hawaii. As of Thursday, at least 53 people have died and more than 1,700 buildings have been completely destroyed, according to Hawaii Governor Josh Green.
In the affected tourist resort of Lahaina, an estimated 80 percent of the city has burned down, reports Reuters.
-There is no doubt that everyone would describe it as if a bomb had hit Lahaina. It is total devastation, says Josh Green in a statement during the night of Friday, Swedish time.
Deadliest natural disaster since 1961
Hundreds of families are said to be displaced and tens of thousands of people have already been evacuated from the western side of the island. Around 11,000 people in the affected area are said to still be without power.
The fires are expected to be the deadliest natural disaster in the state since a tsunami killed 61 people on Hawaii’s largest island, the Big Island, in 1961.
– This time it is very likely that the death toll will significantly exceed that, says Josh Green.
Military resources called in
US President Joe Biden said earlier on Thursday that Hawaii is now a disaster area. He has ordered “all available federal resources” to help Hawaii fight the fires. Which includes, among other things, the coast guard and the navy.
See the devastation after the fires in the popular tourist resort in the clip above.