Hawaii wildfires death toll mounts amid warnings of further fatalities
A massive community effort is under way as search and rescue missions on Maui continue.
The scale of the damage came into sharper focus as search teams with cadaver dogs sifted through the ruins of the historic resort town of Lahaina.
Residents who survived the fire have wondered aloud why no one activated the sirens,which emit noises at a higher decibel level than a loud rock concert.
In the hours before a wildfire engulfed Lahaina,Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames.
Residents of the historic town of Lahaina were getting their first opportunity to re-enter their ravaged suburbs,but there are concerns more fires could break out.
Footage from Lahaina shows residents’ desperate escapes and war-like devastation. But records show no indication that sirens were triggered.
As the arid winds swept over the West Maui Mountains,they forced air to accelerate down the west side of the mountains - with tragic results.
The death toll from the inferno has reached 36. Some people had to flee into the ocean to escape fire and smoke.
A passenger on a flight from Honolulu says travellers flew out of their seats when their plane was hit by “unexpected severe turbulence” halfway across the Pacific.
Fiji,Ho Chi Minh and even Colombo in Sri Lanka are some of the more exotic hotspots to break up your long-haul journey.