The Hawaiian island of Maui was struck by a devastating wildfire that left behind a sight of devastation and tragedy, destroying numerous homes and significant landmarks and killing at least 53 people, and leaving more than 1000 people missing.
The fire caught them unexpectedly giving them little time to react, and survivors shared their terrifying tales of escape with nothing else than their lives.
The major town on the west side of the island, Lahaina, was seen in the aerial footage showing a landscape of ashes and ruins where formerly there were vibrant and bustling streets.
Numerous historic structures along the well-known Front Street, where tourists delighted in dining and shopping, were destroyed by fire.
The fire also damaged boats in the harbor, and smoke covered the town, which has a history that dates back to the 1700s.
He claimed that fires that were still burning have damaged more than 1,000 structures. According to Green, this is the state's deadliest natural disaster since a tsunami on the Big Island in 1960 that claimed 61 lives. As long as search and rescue efforts are ongoing, the death toll may increase.
“It looked like they were trying to get out, but were stuck in traffic and couldn’t get off Front Street,” the owner of one of the oldest shops which got burnt said. She later noticed a body leaning against a seawall.
Winn said the destruction was so extensive, “I couldn’t even tell where I was because all the landmarks were gone.”
“We still have dead bodies floating in the water,” an eyewitness shared his harrowing experience.
The fire, which erupted on Tuesday and caught Maui off guard, quickly moved across the island's parched vegetation before destroying any structures and other objects in its path.
The possibility of a rise in the number of casualties in Hawaii still exists as rescue crews, hindered by the three active fires, gain access to previously inaccessible regions of the island.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images/ AP)
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