New Years Eve on the beach: this is the fate of thousands of people seeking to flee the fires in Australia. A large-scale rescue operation was launched on Tuesday December 31 to help them.
Military ships and planes have been deployed to provide humanitarian aid and assess the damage after one of the worst days since the start of the fire season in September.
Four people died in 48 hours and concern is great for five others who are missing while the south-east of the country is still ravaged by uncontrollable fires. At least two schools and dozens of additional homes have likely been destroyed. Some villages are nothing more than smoking ruins.
Isolated areas
Plot information from several tourist areas shows thousands of vacationers and locals who spent the evening of New Year's Eve stranded by the sea, cornered by flames, in surf clubs in particular. The fires caused numerous power, telephone and Internet outages.
Firefighters have had great difficulty rescuing burn victims in isolated areas. The military fear it may take days to reach certain regions.
Good news, however, came in the coastal tourist town of Mallacoota, where 4,000 people stranded on the beach, protected by fire trucks, escaped without damage. "If I understood correctly, there was a standing ovation for the firefighters at the end of this operation," said Victoria Crisis Emergency Department chief Andrew Crisp on ABC television.
However, the joy was short lived for many local residents who found their homes completely destroyed. The city could also remain cut off from the world for weeks. Food drops have started and a boat loaded with two weeks of food was due to arrive Wednesday.
New mountain fires
Less extreme temperatures and weaker winds gave the firefighters some respite on Wednesday, but conditions should again allow the fires to progress from Saturday.
The authorities are also concerned after the outbreak of new fires in mountainous regions. "Lots of people are on vacation in these areas," said Andrew Crisp.
A total of 14 people have died and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed since the start of the fire season in September. About 5.5 million hectares have gone up in smoke, more than the surface of a country like Denmark or the Netherlands.
With AFP
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