Significantly after the worst wildfires to hit an american state in more than a century. Our North America correspondent John Sudworth reports from the island. Vital supplies being loaded onto a boat that would normally be taking tourists whale watching. Theyre now making multiple daily trips into the Disaster Zone with a growing sense of frustration. We are all wondering, why was there no help sent from oahu . Pearl harbor is a 20 minute flight away, right . Why are the limited resources of police on this island left alone . Where is the support for them . Why are we taking supplies on a boat instead of helicopter . We do this because we have to. An hour into the journey and the devastation along the shoreline comes into view. We can quite clearly see the town of lahaina now and you can make out is the blackened landscape above the town where the grass was burning and what happened with the Hurricane Blowing away off to the south, the pressure brought the wind over the top of the isla
Saying, quote the fires began on tuesday and are now about 80 contained. The blazes spread quickly, fuelled by strong winds generated by a hurricane over the pacific ocean. Thousands are still in emergency shelters. Visitors are being evacuated from the island. These are the latest pictures we Have Smouldering Ruins and total devastation. The worst destruction has been on the island of maui, where some beachfront areas have been completely levelled. Us President Joe Biden has now declared the wildfires a major disaster. This triggers the release of federal funds to help Recovery Efforts. He spoke earlier. We have just approved a major disaster declaration for hawaii, which will get aid into the hands of people who desperately need the help now. Theyve lost, anyone who has lost a loved one, whose home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately. And ive directed that we send support to these brave firefighters and First Responders and Emergency Personnel working arou
There will be active recovery over the coming days and we of the bones of those who have been lost. So it will take time. To give perspective, it is going to take many years to rebuild lahaina. When you see the full extent of the destruction of lahaina it will shock you. It does appear like a bomb and fire went off, if i may. And all of those buildings, virtually, are going to have to be rebuilt. It will be a new lahaina. Lets recap the latest details from hawaii. At least 53 people are now known to have died in the fires, though weve heard the governor say that number will rise. Billions of dollars of property are also expected to be destroyed. Governor green says as many as 1,700 buildings have been destroyed and 11,000 people are still without power or water in west maui. The fires began on tuesday and Officials Say none of these fires are 100 contained. The blazes spread quickly, fuelled by strong winds generated by a hurricane over the pacific ocean. Thousands are still in emergen
you are life with bbc news. in ecuador, the wife of the murdered presidential candidate, fernando villavicencio, has blamed the state for his death. he died less than two weeks before the election were due to take place. katie watson has more. the presidential candidate was leaving a campaign rally in the capital flanked by his bodyguards. then the shooting started. this chaosis the shooting started. this chaos is clear evidence of how much power ecuador criminal gangs yield. inside the building hejust left, the crowds panicked, people desperately trying to shelter from the shootout. nine other
inside the building hejust left, the crowds panicked, people desperately trying to shelter from the shoot out. nine other people were injured. mr villavicencio was taken to hospital, where he was declared dead. chanting ..and where protesters gathered outside overnight. the criminal group los lobos or the wolves released a video claiming responsibility. it s the second biggest criminal group in ecuador, with as many as 8,000 members. it s also been involved in numerous prison riots that have left many inmates dead. mr villavicencio s killing comes less than two weeks before the presidential elections. the current leader, guillermo lasso, has declared a state of emergency but said the elections wouldn t be called off. violent crime in this small south american country is spiralling, fuelled by colombian and mexican cartels who ve infiltrated local gangs. fernando villavicencio s killing wasn t the first on the election campaign