Authorities anticipate more fatalities as rescue attempts continue.
According to the National Protection Association, the number of people killed by wildfires on the Hawaiian Island of Maui reached 93 on Sunday, making them the worst to hit the US in more than a century.
The ancient resort of Lahaina on the island was nearly destroyed by the fire that raged all last week, causing billions of dollars in damage.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated at a news conference that “this is the largest natural disaster we’ve ever experienced” and that “it will also be a natural disaster that will take an incredible amount of time to recover from.”
According to the governor, almost 2,200 buildings have been destroyed on West Maui, with damage estimates at $6 billion.
Authorities have stressed, however, that rescue teams have only so far covered a small portion of the search area.
The number of victims is sure to rise, and “none of us really know the size of it yet,” Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said on Saturday. “We’ve got an area that we have to contain that is at least 5 square miles, and it is full of our loved ones.”
On Maui and Hawaii’s Big Island, six fires were still raging as of Sunday, while the Lahaina fire was 85% suppressed.
