The death toll in the Maui wildfire has reached 93. The cataclysmic fire that swept through the Hawaiian city destroyed the centuries-old town of Lahaina. Search and rescue crews continue to sift through the debris. Governor Josh Green, on Saturday, said the death toll is expected to rise, Gulf News reported.
The newly released death toll surpassed the number of the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California, which left 85 dead. Cars and mailboxes are being marked with huge Xs so that rescue teams know that these places have already been searched for bodies.
The Maui fire has been termed the deadliest wildfire in the US since 1918 when a fire raced through drought-stricken northern Minnesota destroying thousands of homes and killing hundreds.
"It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced...We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding," Governor Green told CBS News.
Green said that the state had secured 1000 rooms to accommodate the temporarily displaced residents and that long-term rentals will be made available “in the coming days.”
According to Pacific Disaster Centre, as of Friday, nearly 5,000 structures have been exposed, damaged or destroyed by fire, 90 per cent of which are residential. While it is unclear as to what caused the fire, the flames rapidly spread thanks to dry conditions combined with hurricane-induced winds.
Hawaii congresswoman Jill Tokuda told CNN, "We underestimated the lethality, the quickness of fire." Authorities also expressed concern about morgues and the singular hospital being able to accommodate victims, CBS News reported.
