An aerial image taken August 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings set on fire in historic Lahaina following wildfires in West Maui in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) said on Tuesday that operations to help distressed Filipinos in Hawaii following the catastrophic forest fires are in class.
In a text message to INQUIRER.net, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, Hawaii would help Filipinos there.
“Our consulate is traveling today to Wailuku on Maui to assist kababayans in distress and obtain verified information on victims, missing persons, etc. They are in constant contact with local authorities, as they are the latter who are responsible for these operations,” he said.
READ: Hawaii fire death toll nears 100, anger grows
“The nation of the Philippines sympathizes with the people of the State of Hawaii for this terrible tragedy,” he said.
When asked if the DFA already had the number of Filipinos affected by the wildfires, de Vega replied, “Not exact data yet,” adding that there are “no confirmed data on the Filipino citizens affected by the disaster”.
READ: Explanation: how did the wildfires in Hawaii start? What to know about the Maui and Big Island fires
Citing data from the Hawaiian government, de Vega said the wildfires have already claimed the lives of at least 96 people and that hell is “contained”.
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