As rescue efforts continued in Hawaii, that was ravaged by a deadly wildlife, Governor Josh Green warned that the death toll might double or triple in the next few days as 10 to 20 people are expected to be found per day. At least 96 people are confirmed to be dead and more than 2,700 structures were destroyed in Lahaina and “an estimated value of USD 5.6 billion has gone away.”
Two fires have not yet been completely contained, including the one that demolished the historic town of Lahaina, according to an update from Maui County late on Sunday. The cause of the wildfires is under investigation, and Green said authorities would also examine their response. One fire, for instance, was thought to be out but later flared again.
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Questions over activating sirens
In the hours before a wildfire engulfed the town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population and instead relied on social media posts. Power and cellular outages further stymied communication efforts, AP reported. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Hawaiian Electric, the state's biggest power firm, claiming the company "inexcusably kept their power lines energized during forecasted high fire danger conditions."
"By failing to shut off the power during these dangerous fire conditions, Defendants caused loss of life" and extensive damage, alleges the lawsuit, according to a report by AFP.
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The fires are Hawaii's deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. They also surpassed the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California that left 85 dead and destroyed the town of Paradise.
