The death toll from the devastating wildfires in Maui, Hawaii has reached 89 as more evacuations are underway in the western area of Kaanapali.
Officials say teams including cadaver-sniffing dogs have only covered 3 per cent of a search area and governor Josh Green has warned the death toll is likely to rise as those search operations continue to find more bodies.
The latest in a string of fires that have ravaged parts of the island triggered the evacuation of the community in Kaanapali on Friday night, the Maui Police Department announced on social media.
Officials believe the wildfires, which are now the country’s worst in terms of casualties in more than 100 years, could end up being the deadliest disaster in the state’s history. Earlier on Friday the authorities said 14,900 visitors left Maui by air the day before.
Many fire survivors said they did not hear any sirens or receive a warning giving them enough time to prepare, realising they were in danger only when they saw flames or heard explosions. Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.
As death toll from Maui fire reaches 89, authorities say effort to count the losses is just starting