• Workers engage in search and rescue efforts after deadly fires hit the Hawaiian island of Maui. Reuters
    Workers engage in search and rescue efforts after deadly fires hit the Hawaiian island of Maui. Reuters
  • Workers continue searching through destroyed neighbourhoods in the town of Lahaina. Reuters
    Workers continue searching through destroyed neighbourhoods in the town of Lahaina. Reuters
  • Debris lies in the road after wildfires devastated the historic town of Lahaina. Reuters
    Debris lies in the road after wildfires devastated the historic town of Lahaina. Reuters
  • Rescue and recovery personnel conduct search operations in Lahaina. Reuters
    Rescue and recovery personnel conduct search operations in Lahaina. Reuters
  • Workers carry out morgue operations in Maui. AFP
    Workers carry out morgue operations in Maui. AFP
  • A building damaged in the Maui wildfires. Reuters
    A building damaged in the Maui wildfires. Reuters
  • Burnt palm trees and destroyed cars in the aftermath of the wildfire in Lahaina. AFP
    Burnt palm trees and destroyed cars in the aftermath of the wildfire in Lahaina. AFP
  • A sign reads 'Tourist Keep Out' at the entrance to a neighbourhood after the wildfire swept through the city of Lahaina. EPA
    A sign reads 'Tourist Keep Out' at the entrance to a neighbourhood after the wildfire swept through the city of Lahaina. EPA
  • Fire damage in the Wahikuli Terrace neighbourhood. Reuters
    Fire damage in the Wahikuli Terrace neighbourhood. Reuters
  • Firefighters clear debris in Kula, Hawaii. AP
    Firefighters clear debris in Kula, Hawaii. AP
  • A burnt building in the fire-ravaged town of Lahaina. Reuters
    A burnt building in the fire-ravaged town of Lahaina. Reuters
  • US marshals check an abandoned car in the ruins of a neighbourhood. EPA
    US marshals check an abandoned car in the ruins of a neighbourhood. EPA
  • The state flag of Hawaii flies over a distribution centre for those affected by the Maui fires at Honokawai Beach Park in Napili-Honokowai, west Maui. AFP
    The state flag of Hawaii flies over a distribution centre for those affected by the Maui fires at Honokawai Beach Park in Napili-Honokowai, west Maui. AFP
  • The remains of a washer-dryer unit sit in a house that was destroyed by the Lahaina fire. EPA
    The remains of a washer-dryer unit sit in a house that was destroyed by the Lahaina fire. EPA
  • A sign blocks a road in Lahaina. EPA
    A sign blocks a road in Lahaina. EPA
  • Workers install a fence around some of the burnt areas in Lahaina. EPA
    Workers install a fence around some of the burnt areas in Lahaina. EPA
  • Local residents put up signs along the motorway near Lahaina. Reuters
    Local residents put up signs along the motorway near Lahaina. Reuters
  • Volunteers sort out donated pet food at the Maui Humane Society in Puunene, central Maui. AFP
    Volunteers sort out donated pet food at the Maui Humane Society in Puunene, central Maui. AFP
  • A woman hugs a volunteer at a distribution centre for those affected by the Maui fires at Honokawai Beach Park. AFP
    A woman hugs a volunteer at a distribution centre for those affected by the Maui fires at Honokawai Beach Park. AFP
  • A sign reading 'Donations full - mahalo' - a Hawaiian word conveying gratitude - is displayed outside a fire station in Wailuku, Hawaii. AFP
    A sign reading 'Donations full - mahalo' - a Hawaiian word conveying gratitude - is displayed outside a fire station in Wailuku, Hawaii. AFP

Hawaii fires: Biden commits support after 'unimaginable tragedy' on Maui trip


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US President Joe Biden on Monday toured wildfire-damaged parts of Maui to show solidarity with affected Hawaiians after the "unimaginable tragedy".

The visit comes about two weeks after the fires tore through the historic town of Lahaina.

“Whatever you need, you’re going to get,” Mr Biden said while in Lahaina, with a vow to help residents rebuild.

“To the people of Hawaii, we’re with you for as long as it takes. I promise you.”

He and his wife Jill Biden saw first-hand the effects of one of the worst disasters to strike the US during his administration.

Federal estimates thus far have put the damage at more than $5.5 billion.

Mr Biden spoke near a burnt 150-year-old banyan tree, pointing to it as a symbol of the town’s resilience and spirit.

“Today, it’s burnt. But it’s still standing," he said. "The tree survived for a reason. I believe it’s a very powerful symbol of what we can and will do to get through this crisis.

"For as long as it takes we’re going to be with you. The whole country will be with you.”

He added he would make sure “your voices are heard” and that local traditions would be respected.

Mr Biden met first responders and local leaders, joined by Governor Josh Green, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell, the state’s US senators, Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, and other politicians.

He announced more federal assistance funding and appointed Bob Fenton, a Fema official, as a response co-ordinator.

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said 850 people remained unaccounted for after the fires swept across the island.

“There is positive news in this number, because when this process began the missing person list contains over 2,000 names,” he said.

Of the confirmed 114 deaths, 27 have been identified.

“As we continue the recovery process the number identified will rise and the number of missing may decrease," Mr Bissen said.

"But there will be daily fluctuations in the numbers as family members are added and removed from the list."

The County of Maui said 85 per cent of the disaster area had been searched.

Operations to find bodies in the remaining areas could take weeks, Hawaii Governor Josh Green told CBS.

Survivors have criticised the response from state and federal agencies, and authorities on the island because sirens were not sounded as the fires spread.

They have also said that federal assistance has been inadequate.

Fema administrator Deanne Criswell defended the efforts, saying more than 1,000 responders were at the scene in Hawaii.

Mr Biden issued a major disaster declaration on August 10, two days after the fires began.

The White House also said he had been in contact with officials while on holiday in Nevada.

Mr Biden previously said he would visit Maui if it did not interfere with recovery efforts.

News agencies contributed to this report

Other ways to buy used products in the UAE

UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.

Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.

Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.

For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.

Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.

At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.

While you're here
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Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

French Touch

Carla Bruni

(Verve)

Updated: August 22, 2023, 4:57 AM