Dozens killed as wildfire burns historic Hawaii town to the ground

A charred boat lies in the scorched waterfront after wildfires fanned by the winds of a distant hurricane devastated Maui's city of Lahaina, Hawaii, August 9, 2023. © Mason Jarvi via Reuters

At least 36 people have been killed in a wildfire that has razed a Hawaiian town, officials said Wednesday, as desperate residents jumped into the ocean in a bid to escape the fast-moving flames.

US Coast Guard officers plucked at least a dozen people from the water as emergency services were overwhelmed by a disaster that appeared to have erupted almost without warning.