"This president is a bit cold" number | Maui Island | President
The number of deaths caused by wildfires on Maui Island, Hawaii, USA is still on the rise. As of the evening of August 13th local time, the Maui Island Police Department has confirmed 96 deaths.
The search and rescue work is still ongoing, and hundreds of people are still missing. The number of deaths is expected to further increase, while thousands of people are still displaced.
"We are ready to face many tragic stories," said Hawaii Governor Josh Green.
This "deadliest" wildfire in a century in the United States has engulfed most of the coastal town of La Haina, with over 2200 houses "flattened" by the fire, causing estimated losses of nearly $6 billion.
The Governor of Chang'an Street noticed that several American media reports stated that when the deadly wildfire rapidly spread, many local residents did not receive warning information. After the disaster occurred, the affected people helped each other and asked, "Where is the government?"
At the same time, President Biden's "indifferent" response has drawn strong criticism, with many comparing his response to this disaster to the "toxic train" derailment incident that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio in February this year.
Biden's "indifferent" response criticized
According to The New York Post, as the death toll from the wildfire on Maui continues to rise, Biden coldly stated that he "will not comment.".
Bloomberg reporter Justin Sink wrote on social media platform X that after spending several hours on Rihobos Beach, Biden responded with "no comment" when asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii. Sink also released a photo showing Biden chatting with a group of people in the distance.
Social media screenshot
The report pointed out that earlier last Sunday, Biden gave a similar indifferent answer to the tragedy while cycling - "We are paying attention to this matter."
Biden's above response has attracted strong criticism from many people, especially Republicans.
!["This president is a bit cold" number | Maui Island | President](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/6dd5ca44e19b8b7bc0a0da219be35ea7.jpg)
During Trump's presidency, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs, Monica Crowley, said, "Biden has no concern for the people suffering on Maui, East Palestine in Ohio, border towns, or anywhere in the United States."
Republican Cary Lake pointed out that Biden "rode his bike to the beach while the residents of La Haina, Hawaii dug into the ashes of their shattered community."
Some netizens also compared Biden's response to the disaster with his response to the Ukraine issue.
"Biden, in short - East Palestine: No comment. Maui: No comment. Ukraine: Give them an additional $24 billion," said a netizen.
"No evacuation notification received"
According to a report by CNN on the 13th, Adam Winterlaub, spokesperson for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said that the agency's records showed that "the alarm was not activated when the fire broke out on Maui Island, and no one in the state or county attempted to activate the alarm." However, Maui County pushed wildfire alerts through mobile phones, television, and radio.
But many residents have stated that they have not received any alerts. There is speculation that the alarm was only issued after a widespread power outage and communication interruption occurred on the island of Maui.
In fact, Hawaii has the world's largest outdoor alarm system that covers various risks, alerting the public in emergency situations such as earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, floods, volcanic eruptions, or terrorist attacks.
However, in the most severe natural disaster in the history of Hawaii, this warning system remained silent throughout, sparking a wave of questioning.
Comparison photos before and after the fire in Lahaina town. "We have not received any evacuation notice," said Cole Milington, a resident of La Haina, with the real warning coming from the "huge black smoke" over La Haina.
Zimmerman, a photographer from Maui Island, recalled the chaos and uncertainty of the outbreak of the fire. "Some people jumped into the sea, swam onto the boat, trying to escape the fire. Others crouched on the ground crying, not knowing where to go, suffocated by the thick smoke. With so many people killed, we don't know where they are, it's unbelievable."
The government's ineffective disaster relief has sparked public anger
!["This president is a bit cold" number | Maui Island | President](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/00d361177b8c17c464640f759370efce.jpg)
According to an article in The New York Times, after the fire broke out, the affected residents on Maui Island helped each other and were angry about the local government's rescue response. Resident Ashley Ye asked, "Where is the government?"
Local restaurant owner Kelly Scheer criticized the government's slow relief efforts for causing serious casualties. Xie Er said, "We live on Maui Island, which is 100 miles away from the military base. However, 72 hours after the fire, the US Navy, medical ships, helicopters, army, and natural disaster rescue equipment arrived in the disaster area."
According to BBC reports, the main road to La Haina was briefly open to residents, but was soon closed again. Hundreds of residents of La Haina and volunteers waiting to transport rescue supplies were forced to queue up on the road, hoping to be allowed to pass.
Mayor Richard Bison of Maui County previously stated that for safety reasons, residents are currently not allowed to enter areas affected by wildfires. "It's not safe here, it's still a dangerous area."
According to the website of Newsweek on the 9th, former state representative of Hawaii, Canilla Ying, blamed "colonial greed" for the raging wildfires in Hawaii.
Ying said on social media, "As a Kanaka Maori, my ancestors have lived on the island for seven generations, and it's heartbreaking to see all of this. Colonial greed is burning down our homes, and it's all the fault of American politicians and polluters."
At present, the state of Hawaii has launched a review on disaster response. State Attorney General Anne Lopez said her office will review "key decisions and long-term policies of Maui and the entire Hawaiian Islands before, during, and after the wildfire.".
On the 13th, Hawaii federal congressman Gil Detain stated in an interview with BBC that some "serious questions" need to be answered.
"In this special situation, everyone has ample reason to feel angry, and we all want the answer," said Tokuda.