Oprah facing backlash as she's accused of ‘blocking private road’ and 'stopping' people from evacuating tsunami

After a tsunami warning was issued to residents of Hawaii following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula last night, Oprah Winfrey was accused of preventing evacuation procedures.

So much so, that the talk-show host's representatives have been forced to issue a statement denying ever having done so, while a police statement also supporting the star.

For those out of the loop with the world's latest natural disaster, in the early hours of this morning (30 July), a powerful tremor off the Russian coast saw ports in other country's close to the earthquakes epicentre flooded with water.

It is believed by experts that the earthquake is one of the strongest ever recorded, with residents of at least 16 countries being issued warnings.

According to the UK's Foreign Office, this list includes Chile, Costa Rica, Kiribati, French Polynesia, Peru, Samoa, Japan, Solomon Islands, Ecuador, Russia, New Zealand, Taiwan, China, Tonga, Canada and the Philippines.

The earthquake has affected over 16 countries (Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Several US states have also been affected, specifically California, Alaska and Hawaii.

In the latter location, waves reaching staggering heights of 5.7ft were recorded in areas of both Kahului, Maui, whilst wave another at 4.9ft was recorded in Hilo.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre told Hawaiians earlier today 'urgent action should be take to protect lives and property', after which residents began fleeing to low-lying areas.

As a result, heavy traffic has built up across the island.

Oprah, 71, has come under fire, with Hawaiian citizens accusing the star of 'refusing' to open the private road she boasts in the area.

The star's road connects Wailea to Kula via an inland route, which X users claimed would ease the rest of the island's traffic if opened.

Roads have become blocked in Hawaii (EUGENE TANNER/AFP via Getty Images)

Sharing an image of the traffic jam, one X (formerly Twitter) user claimed: "Oprah won’t open her private road from Wailea to Kula, Hawaii, which would make it much easier for locals to get to higher ground."

Another demanded in response: "OPEN THE ROAD OPRAH."

"If Oprah’s road was open we could escape," a third continued.

Following the criticism, however, a representative for the TV star and philanthropist has since denied accusations of the private road closure.

"As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] to ensure the road was opened," the spokesperson told The Mirror.

"Any reports otherwise are false. Local law enforcement are currently on-site helping residents through 50 cars at a time to ensure everyone’s safety. The road will remain open as long as necessary."

Oprah's team denied closing the road (Erik Aeder/Getty Images)

For those in need of a reminder, between 2003-2005, Oprah acquired a number of properties in Hawaii, with her land mass reportedly totally around 163 acres.

She famously flew her entire TV crew and their families - around 1,065 people - out to the area in 2006 to thank them for their hard work, with her show celebrating two decades on screen at the time.

Maui Police Department also confirmed that Oprah's private road had been opened as a result of the tsunami warning, telling The Express: "Maui Veterans Highway is congested; use Cane Haul Road toward Hansen and Pulehu roads to get to Kula.

"Road above Makena Golf Course provides access to Ulupalakua. Also, Oprah’s road is open to get Upcountry."

Tyla has contacted the star's representatives for further comment.