The deadliest bushfires in Australia’s history have left at least 108 people dead and the toll is expected to rise as emergency services pick over the worst hit areas and dozens of fires continue to burn out of control.
Christine Nixon, Victorian Police Commissioner, said more bodies were likely to be found as emergency services gained access to areas that had been cut off.
More than 300,000 hectares have been burnt in the southern state of Victoria where 750 homes have been destroyed. A number of small towns, including Marysville, have been wiped out.
Bushfires are common in Australia but the fires have been devastating his year because of potent mix of record heatwave temperatures and high winds. Some fires were deliberately lit, according to police.
The worst hit areas included Kinglake, where at least 32 people died and more than 550 homes were destroyed.
Kevin Rudd, Australia’s prime minister, warned the nation to prepare itself for the devastation that would become clear in the next few days.
“I fear in the days ahead that the news is going to be bad,” he said. “Hell in all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria in the last 24 hours, and many good people now lie dead. Many other lie injured.”
John Brumby, premier of Victoria, launched a bushfire appeal fund in partnership with the Australian Government and Red Cross to support devastated communities. Australia’s four large banks donated A$4m to the fund.
“Communities across Victoria have been devastated by more than 400 bushfires that have swept across the state in the most severe weather conditions we’ve seen in our history,” Mr Brumby said.
“The human cost of these fires has been horrific – in many parts of our state so many lives have been lost, so many people left with severe injuries, so many houses and possessions wrecked and whole communities almost completely destroyed.
Mr Rudd said those that deliberately lit fires were guilty of “mass murder”. “There’s no other words to describe it.”
Firefighters are hoping that forecast light rains will help contain the fires.
Australia’s Ash Wednesday fires in 1983 killed 75 people. Bushfires are also burning in other parts of Australia, including in New South Wales with eight fires are burning out of control.
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