Featured Image Credit: ET/BBC
Topics: US News, Celebrity, Oprah Winfrey
Claire Reid
Oprah Winfrey and her camera crew were denied access to an emergency centre in Maui, Hawaii, before later allowing her entry, minus her crew.
Maui has been devastated after wildfires tore through the island, with officials saying at least 93 people are dead and dozens more injured.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green says it is the largest natural disaster the US state has ever faced.
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Residents of the historic town of Lahaina have been warned it is a ‘hazardous area’, with potential harmful fumes and contaminated water.
Hundreds of buildings were destroyed, leaving many people without homes and forced to take refuge in shelters.
In the wake of the fires, TV personality Winfrey, who owns around 1,000 acres of land on the island, has been helping out with aid efforts.
However, when she tried to visit a shelter housing survivors with a camera crew from CBS she was turned away.
In a statement, officials said that media was not allowed inside out of ‘respect’ for those using the shelter.
The statement read: “Out of respect for those who have come to seek safety and shelter at emergency shelters, our policy remains that no media are given access.
“We welcome Oprah to continue to uplift our community’s spirit and give her aloha to victims of the tragic disaster and appreciate her understanding of our policy of no camera crews or reporters in our emergency shelters. Mahalo.”
The County of Maui later clarified that Winfrey was then welcomed into the facility after she told her camera crew to stay outside.
“Oprah was able to visit our shelter and we thank her for instructing media journalists and camera crews to remain outside," the county wrote in an update about Oprah trying to enter the shelter, a post on Facebook read.
“We welcome Oprah to continue to uplift our community’s spirit and give her aloha to victims of the tragic disaster.
“Her visit inside of the shelter today was truly heartwarming and we appreciate her understanding of our policy of having no camera crews or reporters accompanying dignitaries and celebrities in our emergency shelters.”
Previously Winfrey had been filmed helping out inside a shelter, where media crews were present.
Describing the experience as ‘overwhelming’ to a reporter, she added: “I’m really pleased to have so many people supporting... bringing what they can and doing what they can.
“I came earlier just to see what people needed then went shopping because often, you know, you make donations of clothes or whatever and it's not really what people need.
“So I actually went to Walmart and Costco and got pillows, shampoo, diapers, sheets, pillowcases.”