At least six people were killed in wildfires in the American island group of Hawaii on Wednesday. The mayor of the island of Maui, where the deaths occurred, has reported this to AP news agency. It is unclear how many people were injured in the fires.
The fires are exacerbated by Hurricane Dora, which has been raging south of the islands since Tuesday evening. Due to the hurricane, the archipelago has to deal with wind gusts of more than 97 kilometers per hour. This has allowed the fires to quickly buy out of control. Fire-fighting helicopters had to be grounded because of the hurricane.
The fire is mainly raging on the island of Maui, Hawaii’s second largest island. A state of emergency has been declared there and about 2,000 people are in shelters there.
Read also: In Hawaii, people jump into the ocean to flee wildfires
‘Communities wiped out’
According to Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke, entire “communities have been wiped out.” She has also urged travelers to stay away. “This is not a safe place to be.”
The fires have devastated the historic coastal town of Lahaine, where buildings in the center of town date back to the 18th century and are mostly made of wood. Several people have been hospitalized with burns and smoke poisoning.
Some 15,000 people are currently without power, making evacuations more difficult. Emergency number 911 has also been switched off and mobile service has been lost in many places.
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