At least 36 people have died in the Lahaina fire in Hawaii, local authorities have said, adding that the fire remained active.
Wildfires, fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, have destroyed businesses in the historic town of Lahaina and left dozens more people injured. There have been 13 evacuations for three fires.
Flames roared throughout the night and day, forcing adults and children to dive into the ocean for safety.
“As the firefighting efforts continue, 36 total fatalities have been discovered today amid the active Lahaina fire,” a Maui county statement said. “No other details are available at this time.”
It was not clear if the 36 fatalities were in addition to the six reported earlier on Wednesday.
Rescuers with the US Coast Guard pulled a dozen people from the ocean off Lahaina after they dived in to escape smoke and flames. Burn patients have been flown to the island of Oahu, officials said.
The US president, Joe Biden, said he had “ordered all available federal assets on the islands to help with response”. He expressed his condolences and said that he and his wife Jill’s “prayers are with those who have seen their homes, businesses, and communities destroyed”.
On Wednesday afternoon, the US Civil Air Patrol and the Maui fire department conducted flyovers and determined at least 271 structures had been damaged or destroyed. But assessing the full extent of the damage could take weeks or months, said Mahina Martin, a spokesperson for Maui county.
Fire was widespread in Lahaina town, including on Front Street, an area popular with tourists.
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