Kourtney Kardashian is facing strong criticism online for sharing beach images while devastating wildfires have ravaged Maui.
The star of Keeping Up With The Kardashians displayed her baby bump with pride in the pictures captured on the sandy shores of Montecito. She also included snapshots of the ocean as seen from her balcony.
However, fans have expressed their disapproval toward the 44-year-old, advising her to be more sensitive given the circumstances. This reaction comes as a response to her caption, which reads: ‘The ocean calms the fire in me’.
Amidst the evacuation of locals from the fire-stricken island, the aftermath of the blaze has resulted in a confirmed death toll of fifty-five individuals, while another 1,000 individuals are still unaccounted for three days after the wildfire occurred.
The fire, which began on Tuesday, spread through Lahaina ferociously, torching almost every building in its path.
Kardashian – who is pregnant with her fourth child – shared updates from a vacation just hours after wildfires broke out.
Hundreds of people shared their thoughts under the post, claiming she was being ‘insensitive’ to the world around her.
‘Maybe not the best time to say the ocean calms the fire when people in Hawaii were forced into the ocean because of a fire,’ one person said.
A woman who claimed to be a Lahaina local hit out at the reality star for not considering how her words might be perceived at a time of crisis.
‘Except when you’re forced to jump into the ocean.
‘Because you and your car have been engulfed in flames as you try to escape the fire that’s burning down your home.
‘I know you’re just a celebrity and you won’t even respond to this, but my entire town just burnt to the ground and it’s like the people who have the ability to help just pretend not to know what’s going on.’
Another bluntly stated: ‘That’s a really inappropriate caption, jeeez’.
‘Girl, read the room,’ someone said.
Laurie Somers added: I wonder if you all have thought about the people of Maui?
“You seem very insensitive.
‘Do we really care about your baby bump when the people of Maui are suffering? Really?’
‘Terrible timing for a terrible caption,” one more added.
It occurs as frightening new video of dozens of Hawaiians struggling in the rough ocean after diving in to escape the catastrophic wildfire has just surfaced.
In a desperate attempt to survive, terrified locals hurried towards the waterfront and dove into the water.