MADRID, 10 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The number of deaths from the forest fires that affect the US archipelago of Hawaii has risen to 36, as reported by the authorities of Maui County, on the island of the same name.
“The bodies of a total of 36 people have been found as work continues to put out the active fire in Lahaina,” the local government said in a statement posted online.
Previously, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen had indicated that at least six people had died from the fire and ventured that there could be more fatalities. “Our main goal right now is to save lives,” he has stated.
The governor of the state, Josh Green, has lamented the “terrible disaster”, which he has linked to hurricane winds and drought, and has described the work of the emergency services as “heroic”, thanks to which there are no more victims. In a statement, he has announced that he will request a formal disaster declaration from President Joe Biden in the coming days, “once the magnitude of the damage is known” from the flames.
For his part, the US president, Joe Biden, has announced the mobilization of the Armed Forces to fight the fires: “I have ordered the presence of all available federal resources on the islands to help in the response,” he indicated, as it reads a statement from the White House.
The Hawaii National Guard has deployed several helicopters to assist with firefighting and search and rescue efforts on the island of Maui, with support from the Coast Guard and a Navy fleet. Meanwhile, US Marines have provided military-grade helicopters to fight fires on the main island.
