Death Toll in Australian Bushfires Reaches 130

by Jordan Yerman | February 8, 2009 at 07:34 pm

942 views | 36 Recommendations | 14 comments

Update: The death toll has passed 130, in what Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard described as the worst event in Australia's peacetime history.

"A tragedy beyond belief, beyond precedent and really beyond words.

She warned the country to prepare for more tragedy.

"It will get worse and Australians need to prepare themselves," Ms Gillard told the nation's parliament.

The wildfires in Victoria are still not under control- 25 fires still burn as firefighters continue the battle. Some friends of mine live about 30 miles from one of the fires; one of them texted me with:
"Yeah we are good but the main front is only 30 miles from us. Saturday had the potential to be nasty. 120ft high wall of flames"

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the numbers were "numbing" and warned the nation to prepare for more bad news.

Troops and emergency crews are still battling about 25 fires - two of which are threatening urban areas.

On Monday, forensic crews began the grim task of searching for more bodies amid the tangled wreckage while roughly 3,000 firefighters, aided by cooler temperatures, continued to battle three main wildfires and dozens of smaller ones.

More bodies will be found and identified by our emergency services, Ms Gillard warned.

"Burns victims will sadly succumb to their severe injuries despite the intensive efforts of our health professionals.''

Australians needed to brace themselves for the increase in fatalities and be mindful of the grief and circumstances of those affected.

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Uwe Paschen

at 18:52 on February 8th, 2009

This is rather scary and there is not end in sight.

JODESinOZ

at 19:01 on February 8th, 2009

The fires over here are devastating.
We have fires all around us, roads are closed and there are so many confirmed dead already. It's dreadful...like hell on earth.

JODESinOZ has contributed a photo to this story.

Fred Miller

at 20:01 on February 8th, 2009

From an Aussie friend's email I just opened :

www.news.com.au/heraldsun/

check youtube by typing "victoria bush fires"

....entire towns burnt out.....

go to Google...news..... type in "victoria bush fires".

ARSONISTS charged over Victoria's bushfires could face murder charges, police say. (About time!!!)

Australia’s worst bushfires in a quarter-century have left at least 65 people dead and destroyed 640 homes, prompting the deployment of the army to help firefighters in southern Victoria state. Police figures confirmed the state’s worst bushfire death toll in 70 years. More than 400 fires struck yesterday and crews are battling 14 large blazes today, according to the Country Fire Authority’s Web site. More bodies are likely to be recovered as fires are brought under control, police said.

Thank God my son Matthew is in Sydney NSW ...Inner West ......concrete for miles around where he lives and works.

Regards

Dan

Also view ABC news update here

Sanjay Jha

at 21:12 on February 8th, 2009

Latest information coming from Australia says that The death toll in the Victorian bushfires now stands at 130. Senior Australian police have also been told the death toll could rise to 200 when searches of remote areas are completed. It is believed about 15 per cent of the population - or about 30 people - perished. Many houses in Strathewen and Arthurs Creek have police tape across their front gates, an ominous sign of what lies inside.

The number of dead is rising as police access devastated areas.

Victoria Police have confirmed that 33 people died in Kinglake, nine were killed in Kinglake West and seven died in Strathewen.

Six people were killed in St Andrews, 12 in Marysville, eight in Narbethong and three in Taggerty.

Seven were killed in Steeles Creek, two in Mudegegonga, one in Yarra Glen and four in Koornalla.

In Hazeldene two people were killed and three perished in nearby Flowerdale.

In Gippsland, nine people were killed in Callignee and one person died in Upper Callignee.

Four perished in Hazelwood and one died in Jeeralang.

Four died in Wandong, one in Arthurs Creek, one in Eaglehawk and four in Humevale.

Six people died in unspecified locations.

Firefighters have worked through the night to battle dozens of fires that continue to burn across the state.

freeoguy

at 21:28 on February 8th, 2009

the lastest busfire count is 130 dead,to listen live on radio go to (www.3aw.com.au) or (www.6pr.com.au) to see pictures and video go to (www.perthnow.com.au) and (www.watoday.com.au).

Maireid Sullivan

at 00:49 on February 9th, 2009

Police reported 131 dead at 7pm today - and rising. When I went to the shops today, I could see the fire in the distance - just 15 miles away.

We've packed up our memorebelia, photos, etc. just in case.

I've posted more info:

UPDATE: State of shock, as fires burn whole towns
http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/update-state-shock-fires-burn-whole-towns

Indian Ocean, not El Nino, may be cause of Aussie drought

http://my.nowpublic.com/environment/indian-ocean-not-el-nino-may-be-cause-aussie-drought

Sanjay Jha

at 01:22 on February 9th, 2009

Thanks for your update. Please continue to update our readers. The magnitude of the fire is increasing very rapidly.

René

at 01:16 on February 9th, 2009

Forest Jihad?

September 7, 2008, AUSTRALIA has been singled out as a target for "forest jihad" by a group of Islamic extremists urging Muslims to deliberately light bushfires as a weapon of terror.

US intelligence channels earlier this year identified a website calling on Muslims in Australia, the US, Europe and Russia to "start forest fires", claiming "scholars have justified chopping down and burning the infidels' forests when they do the same to our lands".

I'm sure there was some of this type of crime in the name of A))ah in the US last summer.

So sorry. I pray for change in the weather to help fight these horrifying fires.

Maireid Sullivan

at 13:06 on February 9th, 2009

I just did a search, and there is NO MENTION of Jihad, René, anywhere in the Melbourne media, where I am. The link you give is no longer up. I suspect they took the comment down because it is alarmist, and not proven.

Right now the fire is about 7 miles from our place. We have evacuees staying with us now.

Here are the links to my post. I didn't post them properly last night as I was in a hurry.

This first post is from the ABC radio/tv website, the most immediate source of info. The photos above come from them.

UPDATE: State of shock, as fires burn whole towns

Indian Ocean, not El Nino, may be cause of Aussie drought

AKAmamma

at 01:38 on February 9th, 2009

There's some great reporting here, both from you and your commentators.

hak_2@y7mail.com

at 03:56 on February 9th, 2009

We were on our way to the 1000 steps at the dandenong ranges. Saw just a little smoke on the horizon, not too far where we were intending to go. Police had blocked a section of the road off and started to divert traffic as the CFA had hoses running across the road. At this stage there was no urgency or hint of anything big but within about 5 minutes all the bush was on fire, right down to the edge of the road. Radient heat was soo hot that the camera was getting too hot to hold and our skin felt like it was burning. We didn't realize the extent of the blazes around Victoria until we got home and saw the news

hak_2@y7mail.com has contributed a photo to this story.

Maireid Sullivan

at 19:51 on February 9th, 2009

Confirmed death toll at 2pm 10 Feb. 173, but not all properties have been inspected. The fires are under control, with constant management. The army is going in to help with logistics and support. No flames, just smoke on the horizon, 7 miles from our place.

lefty_liberated

at 00:47 on February 10th, 2009

Sad thing is, as i heard it, that environmentalists have been recommending that farmers "back burn" their feilds to prevent the level of devistation that would occur if a fire happend. So some of this damaged they might have been able to minimize if farmers could safely burn their fields.