Deaths in Aust, fires now 69

Press, 18 February 1983, Page 1

Deaths in Aust, fires now 69

NZPA Sydney The death toll from the savage bush-fires which have swept parts of South Australia and Victoria continued to mount last evening as the fires still raged out of control near Melbourne.

The toll from the fires stood at 69 last evening, the Victorian police confirming 43 killed and another. 26 reported dead in South' Australia. Damage was estimated at $350 million. The number of those incinerated or .suffocated in the blaze was expected to mount as fire-fighters searched the remains of the many hundreds of homes ruined in the fires which raced through bush tinder-dry from the worst drought of the century in Australia. In Victoria the Country Fire Authority said last evening that the fires in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne, in the Lorne-Au-glesea region on the southwest coast, and in the Trentham—Woodend area in the north-west had all been contained. The South Australian fires were being dampened down in cooler conditions. The only big fire, still burning out of control was in the Warburton-Powell town region east of Melbourne, in fairly inaccessible country. In South Australia 850 people were injured. 450 requiring hospital treatment. Of those incinerated in that Dandenong area 11 were volunteer firemen killed when their two water tankers were caught in the blaze on Wednesday night. The other 12 reportedly included elderly people and a young couple. The couple, a New south Wales man, aged 30. and his Melbourne girlfriend, aged 23, died huddled together in a storm drain. The Victorian Country Fire Authority confirmed 24 deaths in the Dandenong hills east, seven near Warrnambool in the south-west, three at the coastal resort of Lome, and two deaths at Macedon north-west of Melbourne. In South Australia 12 died

in the Adelaide Hills area behind the city and 13 in the south-east of the state near Mount Gambier. People trying to get from their places df work to their homes were among victims in South Australia. The fires had erupted about midday on Wednesday, when hot northerly winds swept in from Central Australia, reaching 42deg. in Adelaide and higher in country areas, the winds gusting at speeds up to lOOkm/h. The fire in the Adelaide Hill raced from house to house, with fireballs of flame reaching high into the sky as they swept up gullies. All that remained of hundreds of homes yesterday were charred and twisted ruins, the little left, evidence of the searing fierceness of the blaze. Many famous landmarks have gone or were gutted, including the Eagle-on-the-Hill Hotel, 15 minutes from downtown Adelaide, and the historic 140-year-'old Wolta Wolta Homestead, a $500,000 home. On the coast south-west df Melbourne at Lome and Anglesea residents huddled on the beaches throughout the night as their homes and belongings burned. Thousands were evacuated from towns in the Western Districts and from Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs. The Great Ocean Road was cut-off outside Anglesea and in some parts the road itself was burning. About 15.000 firemen - regular, volunteers and servicemen — were committed to fighting the bushfires which destroyed an estimated 2000 homes and have cost millions of dollars worth of stock and property damage.

The Great Ocean Road was cut-off outside Anglesea and in some parts the road itself was burning.

About 15,000 firemen — regular, volunteers and servicemen — were committed to fighting the bushfires which destroyed an estimated 2000 homes and have cost millions of dollars worth of stock and property damage.

The disaster brought a sudden halt to electioneering with both the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, and the Australian Labour Party leader, Mr Bob Hawke, holding off from the campaign trail. Mr Fraser visited the fire struck areas yesterday; The New Zealand Government has offered Australia any assistance it can give in the Australian bush fire tragedy. The offer was made by Mr Muldoon in a telephone call to Mr Freser, last evening. Mr Muldoon “conveyed sympathy over the terrible bush fires,” his office said.

The offer was one of immediate assistance if needed or help with the clean-up work once the fires were doused.

A spokesman for Mr Muldoon said that no specific offer had been made but he agreed it could take the form of logistic support by New Zealand’s armed forces.

Auckland’s Mayor, Mr Colin Kay, has started an appeal for clothes and money for victims of the fires.

Mr Kay said he received many telephone calls yesterday from Aucklanders offering money and clothes. People wishing to help should get in touch with him personally. The Seventh Day Adventist World Service has contributed $lO,OOO to the bush fire victims.

A public relations officer for the church in Christchurch, Mr Ray Coombe, said last evening that he had been notified that the S.A.W.S. had contributed the money through its Sydney headquarters.

The two New Zealand based insurance, companies, New Zealand South British

and National, both in the top 10 in size in Australia, set in motion yesterday emergency systems to cope with claims from the Victorian and South Australian fire disasters. Early indications were that the total losses would be around $lOO million, but not all of this would have been insured.

Neither company was able to estimate how much the total claims would be against their companies, but obviously it will be many millions.

However, the precise total will be substantially reduced because of re-insurance. Mr H. J. Kember. chief general manager of the New Zealand South British Group’s general insurance division, the largest private insurer in Australia, said his company's exposure would be heavy. “We are deeply involved in both states. We have got a very large operation in Adelaide and branches right through Victoria. “We have to expect to face big losses, because of our size.”