The death toll from a massive wildfire in the US state of California has risen to 24, US media reported on Monday.
The Los Angeles County Department of Forensic Sciences told the media:
“Twenty-four people have died as a result of wildfires in California. The department is still investigating the cases.”
Meanwhile, the cause of the massive fire has not yet been determined. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters that local fire services, police officers, as well as the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI are working together as a task force to try to find the source and cause of the fire. He promised to announce the outcome of the investigation when it is complete.
The wildfires broke out in California on January 7. Celebrities were among the more than 80,000 evacuated because of the fire. Many of them confirmed that they lost their homes in the fire.
Daily Mail reported that the rental house of the son of the incumbent US President Joe Biden’s son also burned down in Los Angeles. On January 9, Biden declared a major disaster regime in California. He ordered federal aid to supplement state and local efforts to rebuild fire-ravaged areas.
US President-elect Donald Trump said California Governor Gavin Newsom should resign amid the Los Angeles fires.
On January 10, satellite images showing the scale of the disaster were released. The media also reported looting and looting. A curfew has been declared in parts of the affected areas to prevent looters from taking advantage of the disaster.
