Photo: Maxar
Officials in Hawaii said that at least 36 people have died as firefighters continue to battle the wildfires burning across Maui.
"As the firefighting efforts continue, 36 total fatalities have been discovered today amid the active Lahaina fire. No other details are available at this time," Maui County officials said.
Lt. Governor Sylvia Luke said that hospitals were overflowing and struggling to deal with the number of burn patients and people with smoke inhalation being admitted.
The historic town of Lahaina, which is home to around 12,000 people, was devastated by the fire.
"It looked like an area that had been bombed in the war," Richie Olsten, a pilot who flew a helicopter over Maui on Wednesday afternoon, told CNN.
As of Thursday (August 10), over 11,000 people have been evacuated from the island. About 600 people were stranded in the airport as United Airlines and American Airlines said they were sending empty planes to assist with the evacuation efforts. Officials expect at least 2,000 more people to be evacuated by Friday.
Authorities in Maui County said that around 2,100 people stayed in shelters overnight.
While the fires have caused massive devastation in Maui, tourism officials said the rest of Hawaii is open for business.
"What happened in western Maui is devastating. It's really, really sad, and our prayers go out to the families. But I also want people to know who are traveling to Hawaii and who are already here, the rest of Hawaii is open," Jimmy Tokioka, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, said on Thursday.