Victorian bushfires death toll expected to rise to 230

[FarCenter]

Source: The Australian newspaper

THE DEATH toll from the nation's worst bushfires is expected to more than double, with the Victorian Government being advised to prepare for 230 fatalities.

Police and fire crews began entering some of the worst-affected regions today and the official toll stood at 128, having been increased from 107 just after 2pm AEST.

But The Australian understands the state government was advised during crisis meetings this morning of predictions of at least 230 deaths.

The grim tally amounts to at least three times the number of lives lost in both the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 and the Black Friday fires of 1939.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25027772-601,00.html

[HeresyLives]

1. My god, last time I checked it was 108.

And THAT was horrific!

[FarCenter]

6. Confirmed dead are 126

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25022560-5018723,00.html

But they are expecting the toll to rise significantly.

[Idealism]

2. Was this just normal dry fire?

Or is there suspected arson?

Either way, that is horrible!!

[MrModerate]

5. Some fires are thought to have been set . . .

One is reported as have been caused by a cigarette flipped out of a car window. All of the fire sites are being treated as crime scenes and one police official has used the term "mass murder."

Lightning is really the only other source of fires like this (I'm told), and local officials are dubious about that being the case here. There may have been as many as 100 individual fires . . . some are still burning.

[Idealism]

7. I hope they figure out if its arson or not

and proceed with criminal investigations as soon as possible!

[canetoad]

13. It was a number of fires

which is not unusual in the conditions we have this summer. Unfortunately there was a raging north wind and the fires travelled too quickly for the firefighters and joined up into massive firefronts.

After bushfires we generally hear stories of people who sucessfully defended their houses from ember attacks etc. This one was too fierce, too big and too bloody fast. Not many people in it's path escaped.

[Captain Hilts]

3. This is just terrible. nt

[Skittles]

4. I am IMing with a volunteer firefighter in Australia

he's exhausted and devastated :cry:

[tabatha]

8. Here are some photos that tell the story in a way that words cannot:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/gallery/0,26637,5037339-5006020,00.html#

[Canuckistanian]

22. Wow

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6478432,00.jpg
That's melted lead coming from that car, probably from the battery.

[canetoad]

23. No it is not

It's melted alloy wheels.

[Canuckistanian]

26. You're right

I'm just hearing some of the horrific stories coming out now.

Some people basically had no chance to get out, it came so fast and so hot. The only survivors in some areas were the ones who managed to find some water to jump into.

They couldn't run away, they couldn't drive away.

And they say that a lot of houses were reduced to molten metal and ceramic fixtures.

What a nightmare.

[scarletwoman]

9. How awful. Those poor people, I can't imagine... (nt)

[emilyg]

10. Tragic.

edit to add: read that hospitals are running out of morphine.

[aquart]

12. Oh, that says terrible things.

Australia is going to have to get very inventive to survive the next hundred years.

[EFerrari]

11. These poor people. Breaks your heaart.

:(

[girl gone mad]

14. heartbreaking!. n/t

[Endangered Specie]

15. Jesus, this is like an act of terrorism, not arson...

I read that it was possible arson, is that confirmed?

[XemaSab]

16. There are no words

:cry:

[anakie]

17. latest coverage at link below

confirmed 131 deaths, more to come. Check out some of the pictures, people had no chance.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/

Peace

[Bear down under]

18. It's not over yet

The death toll currently stands at 131, and there has been talk that it could go to over 200. it's already the worst natural disaster in Australia's history.

Fires are still burning out of control in Victoria, with more communities under threat -- and the forecast is for extreme weather conditions again this coming weekend, both in Victoria and South Australia.

New South Wales has been lucky so far -- though we had 55 fires burning last weekend, they were mostly well away from settled areas. The weather is much milder, at least east of the Divide, but Sydney is still under a total fire ban and much of the western slopes are under extreme fire danger warnings.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/bushfires/

[AlexDeLarge]

19. Sorry to see

Australia is coming on hard times as such. They've also had a horrendous heat wave strike with sustained temperatures in the 40's C (104+ F).

[Matilda]

20. The greatest shock was the suddenness of the fireballs that hit

towns; people didn't even see them coming, and had no chance of getting
away.

If you live in bushfire area (I do, in northern Sydney), you know the
lore, what you need to do, and you're always ready to run. But people
did all the right things, and it wasn't enough.

That's what's got to everyone this time - people did what they're
supposed to do and died anyway. Whole towns wiped out - I've never seen
that before, nor so many dead. Homes go, but people generally survive,
because they know when to stay and when to go.

And as for the land - it will take decades for the trees to regrow,
and for the farmlands to become productive again. And the summer's not
over yet.

As for the arsonists - and yes, there were arsonists - if they're caught,
they'll be charged with "setting fires with intent to murder". I know
these people are sick, but they should never be let out of jail if
caught and convicted. Never.

[marions ghost]

21. Just heard from my sister & brother in Melbourne

Both my siblings more or less grew up in Melbourne and married Australians. Melbourne has roughly 4 million people. It is a very spread out and suburban city like LA. It has a lot of bushland and eucalypt forest surrounding it. A eucalyptus forest burns like nothing else --so fast and hot--with all that flammable oil in it.

The situation is REALLY horrific. My sister lives near the inner city and feels somewhat safe there but my brother lives on the outskirts and says he and his family will have to abandon their house and go to the beach (!?) if the fires get any closer. The whole city is quite alarmed. They have not seen this before. Anyone living in California & the dry west can relate.

:cry: They told me that a good family friend of ours from way back to our childhood has died in the fires. He was a doctor and was driving alone in his car when the flames engulfed him not far outside the city. A beautiful, sweet & good person in every way. I am so sad to hear this. My sister said she had a really bad feeling all day and sensed that someone they knew had died. She had lit candles for the victims in general that evening...(ironic that practice) and then heard that our friend was one of the dead. What a way to go, full of fear and dread and then to burn. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. I am grieving this loss today.

Worried that there seems to be no change in the weather on the horizon. :scared:

[charles_chiarello]

24. Any word on Greensborough?

I've been wondering how the township of Greensborough, near Melbourne is fairing through the fires. I've seen some maps and there are fires nearby but no word about the town. Concerned about friends living there.

[marions ghost]

27. I've heard the fires are just east of Healsville, which is

in the Yarra Valley about 50 minutes east of Greensborough. I think Greensborough is OK as it's more in the city but I'm sure they are watching it closely.

My brother said it is "raining embers" in Healsville. Some fires are expected to burn for weeks.

[canetoad]

28. Yep. Right next door to me

and we are all fine. The fires are too close for comfort - a dozen people died 15 minutes up the road, towards Kinglake. Then of course Kinglake itself which is a disaster.

Greensborough is just fine, I was there earlier on.

[GCP]

25. Horrifying news

Whole towns wiped out, people dead in their cars trying to escape. My heart goes out to all Australians at this time :grouphug: