The Indian mission in the United States has expressed grief over the lives lost and devastation caused by wildfires in the US state of Hawaii, an archipelago of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. Through a post on the social media platform X, the Indian embassy expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the bereaved during this challenging time.
“Deeply saddened by the devastating wildfires in #Maui, Hawaii. Our hearts go out to the families of the bereaved at this difficult hour. We pray that the local community finds strength and normalcy returns soon," the Indian mission wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Deeply saddened by the devastating wildfires in #Maui, Hawaii. Our hearts go out to the families of the bereaved at this difficult hour.We pray that the local community finds strength and normalcy returns soon.
— India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) August 12, 2023
A fire that rapidly swept through a picturesque town in Maui this week has resulted in the tragic loss of at least 89 lives, according to authorities’ statement on Saturday. This devastating incident marks the deadliest U.S. wildfire in the past century.
Aerial footage released on Sunday, August 13, revealed the extensive devastation in Maui, where deadly wildfires ravaged large parts of the island. The flames engulfed 1,000 structures, rendering thousands homeless, and the process of rebuilding is anticipated to extend over several years and require significant financial resources.
Hawaiian authorities are striving to ascertain how the blaze, which ignited on Tuesday, rapidly spread through the historic resort town with minimal advance warning.
The newly revealed figure now surpasses the toll of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which claimed 85 lives. Going back a century, the 1918 Cloquet Fire erupted in drought-ridden northern Minnesota and raced through multiple rural communities, obliterating thousands of homes and causing the death of hundreds.
Meanwhile, at least two other fires have been ablaze in Maui, fortunately without reported fatalities thus far: one in the Kihei area of south Maui and another in the mountainous inland regions known as Upcountry. A fourth fire emerged on Friday evening in Kaanapali, a coastal community in West Maui located north of Lahaina.