Wildfire roars through Hawaii’s historic Lahaina
Hawaii officials are working to identify the 99 people killed in Maui wildfires as fears of lasting chemical fallout continue to grow.
The death toll stood just below 100 on Tuesday after the last official update indicated that 25 per cent of the search area had been covered. The toll is expected to continue to rise for days as hundreds of people remain missing with Governor Josh Green predicting “10 to 20” more bodies found each day.
Meanwhile, as residents of hard-hit Lahaina return home to survey the devastation, officials have issued dire warnings about contamination that could pose health risks for months to come.
Over on the US East Coast, President Joe Biden has been slammed for his response to the wildfires as he appeared to make some dismissive remarks and has made no official plans to visit the beleaguered state.
After spending a couple of hours relaxing on the beach in Delaware on Sunday, Mr Biden was asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii, to which he simply replied “no comment” sparking fury from his political rivals.
