US President JJoe Biden forgets ‘Maui’ in his public address to Hawaii wildfire catastrophe

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday finally broke his silence on the deadly Hawaii wildfires that killed over 80 people in Maui, the most-affected island whose name was missing in his speech yesterday, according to a report published by The New York Post. 

His address came after facing harsh criticism for spending Sunday on the beach and refusing to comment on the situation of the Hawaii blaze when media persons asked about it. 

Beginning his speech on Tuesday, Biden said, “I apologize because I try very hard to keep my speeches between 15 and 18 minutes, but I got to talk a little bit about Hawaii”, as per NYP reports. 

At first, he emphasized the steps taken by the US government to manage the Hawaii wildfire situation, saying that he provided federal assistance to the victims including a $700 one-time grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

In addition, the Coast Guard, Navy, and Army helicopters supported maritime searches and rescue operations, Biden said. 

“The Army helicopters helped fire suppression efforts on the Big Island because there’s still some burning on the Big Island — not the one that, not the one where you see on television all the time,” he said, confusing with Hawaii, known as the Big Island, and Maui, NYP reported. 

The US President further assured that he and his wife Jill Biden will visit to Hawaii but they are not yet prepared to set a date. 

Earlier on Monday, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said that the number of confirmed deaths from Maui wildfires has gone up to 89, making it the deadliest wildfire in more than 100 years in the US.

The Governor added that the death toll is further expected to go up and some victims were positively identified on Saturday. He noted that around 2,200 structures have been destroyed or damaged in West Maui with 86 percent of them being residential buildings.

Hawaii Tourism Authority has said that around 46,000 residents and visitors have flown out of West Maui's Kahului Airport since the start of the devastation in the historic resort city of Lahaina.