Los Angeles wildfires: Rajeev Chandrashekar notes state of biggest world economy, ‘$4.8 trillion economic powerhouse…’
Devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have resulted in at least five deaths and 180,000 evacuations, with damage estimates seen at $135-150 billion.
Former Union Minister and politician Rajeev Chandrasekhar shared a picture of the devastation in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades area, noting the destruction in a state that is part of the world's biggest economic powerhouse.
“This is California - a USD 4.8 trillion economic powerhouse state, in the worlds biggest economy USA,” he wrote on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
Los Angeles Devastated By Multiple Wildfires
As per an AP report, five people have been confirmed dead so far, but the exact death toll remains unclear, and numbers are expected to rise as crews begin to search the rubble.
Nearly 180,000 people were under evacuation orders on Thursday, January 9, as flames threatened highly populated and affluent neighborhoods including Calabasas and Santa Monica, it added.
Further, according to data from AccuWeather, a private company that provides information on weather and its impact, the estimated damage and economic losses due to the wildfires is around $135-150 billion.
The fires have consumed about 117 square kilometers of the region — roughly the size of San Francisco.
Latest Updates on Los Angeles Wildfires
- Thousands of structures burned in the fierce and fast-moving flames, which blazed picturesque neighborhoods that house Hollywood celebrities and sports figures. The fires have consumed about 117 square kilometers — roughly the size of San Francisco, AP reported.
- On January 7, many of towering fires spread fast due to the powerful Santa Ana winds — over 112 kph in some spots, as per the report. As of January 9, the winds have dropped, but the National Weather Service warned that these winds can still spread fire rapidly, adding that another round of strong winds may occur on Tuesday, January 14.
- Over 415,000 people were without electricity in Southern California, about half of them in Los Angeles County, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide, AP reported.
- According to officials, sewer, water and power infrastructure across the region has been significantly damaged.
- Governor Gavin Newsom said California has deployed more than 1,400 firefighting personnel to battle the fires, and help has been dispatched from states like Oregon, Washington, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona.
(With inputs from AP)
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Business NewsNewsUs NewsLos Angeles wildfires: Rajeev Chandrashekar notes state of biggest world economy, ‘$4.8 trillion economic powerhouse…’
First Published:10 Jan 2025, 09:32 AM IST
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