https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230815_N02/

Search crews on Maui make slow progress

Thousands of buildings have burned to the ground. Search crews are going house to house to try to find survivors. But they have only managed to get through three percent of the disaster zone. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell provided another update on Monday. "The coming days and the weeks, they're going to be tough. They're going to be difficult as people process what they have lost and what the road ahead looks like," she said. Criswell said FEMA has provided thousands of meals, bottles of water and blankets.

People from the community and elsewhere are lending a hand. A local singer, Kalehua Kahele, is helping to organize the volunteers. "This is just the people of Hawaii coming together and just helping to make a difference," he said. One man originally from Hawaii returned from his home in Seattle to pitch in. "It's hard to process everything, but you know, first call to action was, "How can I help? How can I get there?" he said. The fires have devastated the island's economy. Tourists flock to Maui to enjoy its beaches and other scenery. But they have been urged to stay away.

Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230815_N02/