The fires that devastated the Hawaiian island of Maui in 36 hours bring back a doomsday scenario. In addition to razing 2,000 buildings in the archipelago’s former capital, Lahaina, the flames destroyed homes and homes, causing $5.5 billion in damage (according to the US federal civil protection agency) and leaving thousands of families homeless: almost 1,500 people are currently in a state of emergency. housed in shelters.
The number of dead and missing rises
The number of victims is increasing: The number of people who lost their lives increased to 93. A budget that is still tentative and geared towards growth, as local governor Josh Green “undoubtedly” predicted. Farnesina, who opened a help desk for citizens at Maui international airport, headed by the staff of the Italian consulate general in San Francisco, confirmed that all 60 residents of Italy are alive.
Authorities are concerned about the thousands of people missing in the area, and as the hours pass, hopes of finding people alive dwindle. Rescuers have not yet checked the interior of the homes, many of which may have been trapped, and have yet to complete their search at sea, where many residents have thrown themselves to escape the flames.
DNA used to identify victims
Most of the fires have been extinguished and firefighters are constantly working to put out the flames that are still burning in parts of the island, including around the devastated Lahaina area. There is still a lot of work to be done, made difficult by the presence of several outbreaks on the night of 12 to 13 August in the western part of the island, which has forced another evacuation.
So far, only 3 percent of the area devastated by the flames has been searched with the help of rescue dogs, and victims are identified by DNA. The head of Maui police, John Pelletier, evaluated the dramatic situation, urging the public to undergo DNA tests at a nearby facility – according to international media – to speed up identification.
Investigation opened
Meanwhile, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez announced an investigation into the decisions and actions taken by the authorities before, during and after the fires, and promised to make the findings public. Of course, climate change is the main cause of the disaster, but from the first inspections, many things seem to go wrong to prevent and mitigate its deadly effects.
For example, the Hawaiian Electric company, despite being aware of its forecasts of high winds and fire hazards, did not adopt what is currently considered the most effective measure: cutting off power in at-risk areas, as many US states do. Starting in California following the devastating fires of 2017-2018. In addition, the sirens of the alarm system were not activated, and warning messages were not received on mobile phones since there was no coverage area.
solidarity actions
But now we urgently need food, water, medicine, cleaning and hygiene products. As solidarity initiatives proliferate, including the $100 million donated by Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sánchez, Lahaina residents are allowed to return to their towns for the first time. Many have found their homes in ashes, yearning to have lost everything, but often console themselves by seeing their friends and neighbors safe and sound again. A few people who have created a miracle for the untouched house do not want to leave the house for fear of looters, despite the risk that it will not be safe and contain contaminated water.
The Maui fire that destroyed the city of Lahaina is now the deadliest fire in US history, ahead of the fire that destroyed the California town of Paradise in 2018 and killed 85 people.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
