Washington, January 9 (BNA): The White House announced that US Vice President Kamala Harris has canceled a foreign tour that included Singapore, Bahrain, and Germany, due to the historic forest fires sweeping the state of California.
US President Joe Biden had earlier canceled a trip to Italy during which he was scheduled to meet with Pope Francis, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The White House explained that the decision came in response to the catastrophic situation in Los Angeles, where Harris, who hails from California, decided to cancel her foreign trip, which was expected to be her last as Vice President before her term ends on January 20.
Los Angeles is witnessing the worst wildfires in its history, as the fires have so far killed five people, evacuated 180,000 people, and destroyed more than 31,000 acres of land.
In the same context, President Biden declared a major disaster in California, and held meetings with senior officials to discuss the federal response to that disaster.
A.E., SHA
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