Online Desk  :  US President-elect Donald Trump said the raging wildfires in Los Angeles have caused more destruction than a nuclear impact. He also warned that the real number of fatalities in the affected areas is likely to far surpass the current death toll. In an interview with American cable news Newsmax on Monday, he solemnly forecast a sharp rise in the death toll from the devastating Los Angeles wildfires as local authorities deploy cadaver-sniffing dogs to comb through the rubble, Press TV reported. The wildfires, which started last week, were fueled by hurricane-force winds carrying dry desert air. Since then, at least 24 people have lost their lives.

However, Trump emphasized that the two dozen confirmed deaths are likely to be overshadowed by the actual toll. The wildfires have already burned over 40,000 acres and obliterated more than 12,000 structures, wiping out entire neighborhoods. As of Monday, over 92,000 people in Los Angeles County were under evacuation orders, a decrease from the previous peak of more than 150,000, while an additional 89,000 were facing evacuation warnings.