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181 dead in Australian fires, death toll expected to reach over 300
UP to 80 people are still missing in the Victoria fires as the official death toll continues to climb.The toll climbed to 181 overnight but with dozens still unaccounted for it is expected to top 200. There are reports it could reach as high as 300. Those missing were "people who the coroner believes are already deceased, but are not yet identified," Victorian Premier John Brumby said. Marysville is being identified as a potential "Ground Zero", with authorities fearing up to 100 of its population of 519 has died. The force of the fires has been likened to that of 500 atomic bombs. "We had people banging on the sides of our tanker begging us to go back to houses where they knew there were people trapped, but we couldn't because if we had, we'd all be dead too," a firefighter told The Australian about the moment the firestorm hit. Some residents are being allowed back to survey the devastation of the fires, but many are still banned from returning. Whole towns are being treated as crime scenes as police hunt arsonists believed responsible for at least some of the destruction. Police said they could release a photograph an arsonist suspected of setting a blaze in Gippsland. More than 20 people have died in that region. As shattered residents take stock of what they have lost, some have reported a sickening sight - looters moving through gutted homes looking for items to steal. The claim came from a man whose brother was killed at his Yarra Junction home. He said thieves had tried to steal the only items spared from destruction. "They're vultures," he said. Other survivors reported battles with red tape to access desperately needed aid. Gary Hughes, a writer for The Australian, said he had been denied help by Centrelink unless he could produce identification. "Losing everything means just that - everything," he wrote in an open letter to the Prime Minister. "There are many like us who didn't have time to calmly pause to collect wallets and purses as we fled our homes with wet towels over our faces to avoid choking to death on toxic smoke and flaming embers." Kevin Rudd hailed the "army of volunteers working quietly and effectively" to support those left with nothing. He told Parliament yesterday the 4000 firefighters battling the blazes were a "legion of heroes". Posted by: Oztralian 2009-02-11 |
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