One person died and officials warned that more lives could be lost as major bushfires raged across southeastern Australia Friday in heatwave conditions, with residents urged to heed warnings to "leave and live".
Police said the body was found in a house at Roses Gap in the the Grampians National Park west of Melbourne, currently sweltering through a major heatwave this week.
"Sadly, we've lost one person at Roses Gap. Police located the body of a person earlier this morning... in a house," said police commissioner Ken Lay.
"The death appears to be fire related."
The Northern Grampians fire, which is burning out of control over about 21,000 hectares and has prompted more than 100 people to evacuate the area, was running so hot it was "creating its own weather", said Victoria fire chief Craig Lapsley.
The convection column -- a plume of hot gases, smoke, ash and other debris created by the fire -- was causing lightning strikes which were starting other blazes, Lapsley said.
"These fires will be very intense and erratic this afternoon," Lapsley told reporters.
"There is a fair chance of losing property and even, if people are caught in the wrong space, life could be lost."
Lapsley said Friday was just the start of "what is a significant fire period" for the state, where a devastating firestorm in 2009 killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.
"Today is one of those days that certainly will be marked in the history of Victoria," he said.
Those who stay 'risking their lives'
Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells said there was a total recreational fire ban across the state, where there have been an estimated 12 arson attacks in the past 24 hours, and he urged people to heed evacuation orders.
"If the fire danger rating is severe, extreme or code red you are risking your life and that of your families if you choose to stay behind. The message is very clear -- leave and live," he said.
Wells said a second major fire in the Gippsland region could reach 500,000 hectares in size and take some time to bring under control.
In the Grampians, people started evacuating the holiday town of Halls Gap on Thursday evening after seeing a "big red glow on top of the mountain," said Rohan McDonald, owner of the Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park.
"We are covered in smoke, there is a massive plume that looks like an atomic bomb has gone off over the top of the mountain," he said.
In neighbouring South Australia state there were 67 fires going, four of which were declared emergencies, and a forecast lightning storm could complicate firefighting efforts, the Country Fire Service said.
"We will get more (fire) starts, that's pretty much guaranteed," chief officer Greg Nettleton said.
A scorching heatwave that has brought successive days of temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) continued to take its toll.
In Victoria, more than 400 heat exposure cases have been reported since Tuesday and 51 heart attacks -- a significant increase on normal figures.
"For an hour there this morning we were doing one cardiac arrest every six minutes and we expect that this will continue until this weather cools down," said Ambulance Victoria operations manager Paul Holman.
Melbourne was expected to register temperatures around 44 degrees Celsius on Friday while the South Australian capital Adelaide was set for 42C, its fifth straight day over 40 degrees, before dropping considerably on Saturday. The temperature reached 44C on Thursday in Adelaide.
AFP
Fri Jan 17 2014
File photo showing a wildfire along the edge of the road in a suburb east of Perth on January 12, 2014. Bushfires in Australia are frequent events during the hotter months of the year. - AFP PHOTO / DFES / EVAN COLLIS
Thailand: Enam muka baharu sertai Kabinet Srettha
Perdana Menteri Thailand Srettha Thavisin melantik enam menteri kabinet baharu.
Anwar bertemu PM Jordan, tekan kepentingan sokong pengiktirafan negara Palestin di PBB
Pada pertemuan itu, Perdana Menteri turut menekankan kepentingan memastikan Israel dipertanggungjawabkan terhadap kekejamannya di Palestin.
Lebih ramai atlet dijangka layak ke Paris 2024
Kontinjen Malaysia ke Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024 terus diperkuat dengan empat lagi atlet berjaya mengesahkan slot ke temasya terbesar dunia itu minggu ini, menjadikan sejumlah 10 atlet layak setakat ini
AWANI Ringkas: Polis sahkan Chegu Bard direman dua hari
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Pegawai kastam maut dalam kemalangan babit tiga kenderaan
Seorang pegawai kastam maut dalam kemalangan membabitkan tiga kenderaan di Kilometer 18.2 Lebuh Raya Utara Selatan arah Utara, semalam.
AWANI 7:45 [28/04/2024] – Malaysia tumpu pelaburan baharu | Pertumbuhan saksama dan inklusif | Kajian pertubuhan buruh antarabangsa | Tabung Haji teruskan bantuan
Laporan berita padat dan ringkas #AWANI745 bersama Dzulfitri Yusof
Tumpuan #AWANI745 malam ini:
- Malaysia hadapi cabaran baharu dari negara maju, bidang teknologi, tegas PM
- Ekonomi dunia kian tidak seimbang, Tengku Zafrul di pentas forum desak negara maju lebih adil dan saksama
- 70 peratus pekerja dunia terdedah kepada penyakit akibat perubahan iklim
- Tabung Haji tanggung kos lebih RM350 juta tahun ini
Tumpuan #AWANI745 malam ini:
- Malaysia hadapi cabaran baharu dari negara maju, bidang teknologi, tegas PM
- Ekonomi dunia kian tidak seimbang, Tengku Zafrul di pentas forum desak negara maju lebih adil dan saksama
- 70 peratus pekerja dunia terdedah kepada penyakit akibat perubahan iklim
- Tabung Haji tanggung kos lebih RM350 juta tahun ini
Liek Hou rangkul dua lagi emas di Sepanyol
Jaguh badminton para negara Cheah Liek Hou terus cemerlang apabila menggondol dua pingat emas pada Kejohanan Badminton Para Sepanyol Antarabangsa II 2024 pada Sabtu.
Negara maju harus tundukkan 'ego' dan bekerjasama dengan ASEAN - Penganalisis
Menurut Faisal, ini kerana negara membangun di ASEAN sedang mencorak ekonomi ke arah lebih mampan yang perlu dimanfaatkan negara maju
Rakyat Malaysia di Jordan jadi duta produk PMKS negara - Ewon
Datuk Ewon Benedick menyarankan rakyat Malaysia yang menetap di Jordan supaya memainkan peranan sebagai "duta" untuk mempromosikan produk PMKS dan koperasi negara.
Fokus Minggu Depan: Solidariti Gaza Merentasi Bangsa dan Agama
Break The Siege: Fokus Minggu Depan membincangkan topik Solidariti Gaza Merentasi Bangsa dan Agama susulan penangguhan misi penghantaran bantuan ke Gaza anjuran Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC).