Gymnast Nastia Liukin has deleted a bikini selfie she posted on Wednesday in response to the backlash she received for vacationing in Hawaii while many lost their lives in wildfires raging in Maui.
It is not clear which island the Russian-born former American artistic gymnast lives on, but many feel that she has no interest in vacationing in an area where people have lost their homes, businesses, schools and their own lives.
Gymnast Nastia Liukin Deletes Hawaiian Bikini Selfie As Dozens Lose Their Lives In Maui Wildfires
Instagram | Nastia Liukin
On Wednesday night, the five-time Olympian took to Instagram to share an entire carousel full of photos featuring her hanging out on the beach and taking selfies in her car while wearing a colorful bikini. Initially, the caption on her Instagram post read, “aloha” along with a series of colorful emojis, such as surfers, islands, pink flowers and coconuts.
However, he quickly edited his caption in response to the message he received. “Woke up to so many messages this morning – thank you to those who sent messages, worried about us, and kept us safe,” she wrote in the redacted caption. “We are safe – and on a different island but praying for the people and the whole island that suffered the devastating forest fires.”
Nastia Liukin Sending Thoughts and Prayers For Maui Residents
Instagram | Nastia Liukin
He repeated the message in his Instagram Stories along with a picture of a palm tree swaying in the wind. The 33-year-old athlete has been posting about this trip on Instagram and sharing footage of her flight on her Instagram Stories for the past week, so it looks like this trip has been booked for some time. However, some fans thought it was bad for him to post pictures of him having fun in Hawaii when people lost their lives.
According to NBC News, the death toll rose to 55 as of Friday morning as both residents and tourists rushed to leave the island. Although the fire in Lahaina was reported to be eighty percent contained, the entire town was reportedly wiped off the map by the destruction, and historic landmarks that had stood for decades were lost to the fire.
Maui Death Toll Hits 55 As of Friday Morning
Instagram | Nastia Liukin
Six fires are still burning on Maui and the Big Island. In a statement, Maui County Mayor Richart Bissen said the focus now is on reuniting family members lost in the chaos and trying to find missing people who may have been lost in the wildfires. He noted that the death toll “could rise” as many areas remain inaccessible due to forest fires.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated that this fire may go down in history as the deadliest the state has ever experienced. He said it looked like a “bomb” had gone off. Many residents have been without power or electricity since Wednesday, and it was reported that cell and 911 service was also down Wednesday during the fire.
Many Residents Claim They Were Forced To Move Without Warning
Instagram | Nastia Liukin
The Associated Press reports that Hawaii Emergency Management records show no indication that warning sirens were activated before the fire spilled into homes and businesses, leaving many with little time to escape. Some survivors in Lahaina who escaped the destruction claim that they never heard any sirens when they were forced to flee after seeing flames or hearing explosions.
On Friday morning, emergency room doctor Reza Danesh, who runs the Modo Mobile urgent care center and mobile clinic, appeared on NBC’s “Today” show to describe the devastation, calling the city of Lahaina a “war zone.”
“I started getting text messages from some EMS people, paramedics and firemen, that there were bodies on the ground, like a lot. And that’s pretty disturbing. It was pretty surreal,” he said, noting that parts of Lahaina were still burning when he arrived.
ER Doctors Recall ‘Apocalyptic’ Scenes In Lahaina
Instagram | Nastia Liukin
“I could see the trees burning, I could feel the smoke, I could feel the heat,” he said. “It’s basically like any other epidemic, to explain it. It’s a ghost town, very apocalyptic.”
Although he finds people in need of medical care, food and water, he realizes that the situation in Hawaii is worse than it seems. “People with chronic diseases are the ones who will have acute medical issues. People on seizure medicine, diabetics, high blood pressure, people just don’t have their medicine,” he said, noting that the local pharmacy had burned down, leaving many people unable to get what they needed. He also stated that there is no electricity supply and many do not have a mobile phone signal to call for help.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
