STORY: Maui residents grapple with wildfire devastation
DATELINE: Aug. 23, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:54
LOCATION: MAUI, U.S.
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the views in Maui
2. STANDUP: (English) TAN JINGJING, Xinhua correspondent

STORYLINE:

STANDUP: (English) TAN JINGJING, Xinhua correspondent
"Behind me is the historic seaside town of Lahaina, in Maui Island. This is home to about 13,000 people.
Since Maui wildfires engulfed the whole area since Aug. 8, Lahaina has been a scene of charred devastation. Block after block of blackened wreckage and ash.
Many homes, apartments, restaurants, shops and art galleries that populated this historic Hawaiian community have now been burned down to their foundations.
In and around Lahaina, there is still a strong smell of smoldering debris and chemicals in the air.
Local people have now set up relief centers to distribute food, water, diapers, ice, and other supplies to the survivors.
The death toll from the Maui wildfires right now climbed to 115 as of Monday, according to the County of Maui.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said he expects the death toll to keep climbing. Right now, about 850 people are still missing as rescue efforts continue.
Currently 100 percent of the single-story, residential properties had already been searched in the disaster area. Search teams will now transfer to search multi-story residential and commercial properties.
U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Maui on Monday to assess the damage of the wildfires. They met with survivors and first responders who were impacted by the fires.
Biden pledged to offer strong support for local residents and rebuild Lahaina the way the people of Maui want.
Maui wildfires are now the deadliest U.S. wildfires in more than a century, and Hawaii's worst natural disaster. With nearly 3,000 homes and businesses destroyed or damaged, losses of the wildfires are now estimated to be around 6 billion U.S. dollars.
The causes of the wildfires are still under investigation.
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez said that an outside organization will conduct 'an impartial, independent' review of the government's response and decision-making that leads up to, during, and after the wildfires. The investigation will likely take several months."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Maui, U.S.
(XHTV)