AUSTRALIA Catastrophe: kebakaran hutan di tenggara: kebakaran lagi 100 fled!!

amazed

Kebakaran Hutan Australia : 76 terbunuh
08/02/2009 5:41pm

SYDNEY 8 Feb. - Angka kematian dalam kebakaran hutan yang merebak di tenggara Australia melonjak kepada 76 orang hari ini dan dijangka meningkat lagi.

Timbalan Komisioner Polis negeri Victoria, Kieran Walshe berkata, ramai mangsa dipercayai terbunuh dalam kereta mereka ketika cuba melarikan diri dari kebakaran yang sesetengahnya berpunca daripada perbuatan khianat. - AFP





5pm tadik aku dengaq 65 mati... 40 min  naik ke 76 dah.... teruk nih... kesian yang dalam keta  tu... malatop aku rasa masa nak larikan diri dari api nih.....

forest fire nih  ada masa semula jadik  ada masa sebab perbuatan khenat worang....   nanti ada gambaq2 aku post ler....

[ Last edited by  amazed at 24-2-2009 06:22 PM ]

amazed

Angka kematian kebakaran hutan Australia cecah 65 orang

HEALESVILLE, Australia: Api marak yang menjulang membakar seluruh bandar di tenggara Australia serta penduduk yang cuba melarikan diri dalam kenderaan masing-masing, ketika angka korban mencecah 65 orang dan dijangka terus meningkat.

Sekurang-kurangnya 640 kediaman musnah dalam kebakaran besar itu apabila suhu tinggi dan angin kencang mencetuskan ribut api yang melanda sebahagian Victoria di mana semua kematian berlaku.

"Neraka sudah melewati penduduk Victoria sejak 24 jam lalu. Ia adalah tragedi menyayatkan hati kepada negara," kata Perdana Menteri, Kevin Rudd, kepada pemberita selepas meninjau kawasan bencana itu pagi tadi.


Ribuan sukarelawan bomba yang keletihan masih berhempas pulas melawan kira-kira 30 kebakaran yang masih belum dapat dikawal.

Pegawai kerajaan berkata, askar mungkin dikerah bagi membantu usaha itu dan Rudd mengumumkan bantuan kecemasan segera A$10 juta. - AP



ni berita sebelom 5.40pm tadik.... bukan sikit kerugian nih.....!!!  

amazed

pilo

di utara banjir, di selatan terbakar...

nour2001

latest news today more than 108 people are dead and the number is  expecting to rise when the fire authority reach the worst affected area...we used to live in gippsland area (traralgon) n that area is well known to be on high alert every summer...in the northern state pulak cyclone larry menggila causing torrential rain n flood..
we were lucky my husband didn't accept the offer to work in townsville(one of the affected flood area) last year..kalau tak mau agaknya me n family dok dlm ayak banjir..

dexa

sampai 2 opposite bencana alam yang melanda australia  this time -

kena bersabar banyak2 la penduduknya - kesian pada yang
terlibat... bukan sikit2 kerugian.. tu tak apa lagi -
yang sampai ramai yang mati  ekoran dari ni - memang
menyedihkan -

dexa

96 maut kebakaran di Australia





KINGLAKE - Sekurang-kurangnya 96 orang maut manakala sejumlah bandar hangus dijilat api dalam kebakaran hutan terburuk di Australia yang disifatkan oleh Perdana Menteri Kevin Rudd semalam bagaikan api dari neraka.

Sejumlah mangsa meninggal dunia di dalam kereta ketika mereka cuba melarikan diri dari api yang menggunung itu manakala sesetengahnya rentung dijilat api.

Setakat semalam terdapat 26 kebakaran hutan masih berlaku di sekitar bandar Victoria, dalam negeri Melbourne manakala 53 kebakaran lagi berlaku di negeri jirannya, New South Wales.

Beberapa kebakaran itu yang bermula di sini, kira-kira 15 kilometer dari Victoria, dipercayai akibat perbuatan khianat.



Anggota-anggota bomba memadam kebakaran dekat Labertouche kelmarin.

Lebih 700 buah rumah hangus dalam kebakaran hutan itu.

Menurut Timbalan Ketua Polis Victoria, Kieren Walshe, sebahagian kebakaran itu berpunca daripada perbuatan khianat.

Beliau memberi amaran pencetus kebakaran hutan itu akan didakwa kerana melakukan pembunuhan jika ditangkap.

Kebakaran hutan di tenggara Australia itu telah memusnahkan kawasan sekitar 3,000 kilometer persegi atau lebih tiga kali ganda saiz pulau Hong Kong.

Beribu-ribu anggota bomba bertungkus lumus cuba mengawal api daripada terus merebak dalam kebakaran yang masih belum dapat dikawal itu.



SEBUAH kenderaan jabatan bomba tempatan memantau
kebakaran di Taman Negara Bunyip di Labertouche.

Beribu-ribu mangsa bersesak-sesak mencari perlindungan di dewan orang ramai, sekolah dan tempat-tempat lain ketika askar dan anggota bomba bergelut cuba memadamkan kebakaran.

"Keadaan di sini seperti di Hiroshima atau selepas letupan bom nuklear," kata seorang penduduk Kinglake, Chris Harvey.

Ketika kebakaran hutan melanda tenggara negara itu, utara Australia pula menghadapi banjir akibat hujan lebat dengan seorang kanak-kanak berusia lima tahun dikhuatiri dibaham buaya ketika membawa anjingnya bersiar-siar. - Agensi

dexa

Lelaki terbakar tiba di rumah



BEBERAPA buah kereta musnah selepas terbakar di Kinglake, Australia semalam.



API membakar sebuah rumah dekat Kinglake semalam.

HEALESVILLE - Seorang wanita, Marie Jones yang turut menjadi mangsa kebakaran hutan menceritakan dia melihat seorang lelaki terbakar hampir keseluruhan tubuhnya tiba di sebuah rumah rakannya.

Marie berkata, lelaki itu tiba di rumah rakannya bersama-sama seorang bayi perempuan dengan memberitahu bahawa isteri dan seorang lagi anaknya maut dijilat api.

"Lelaki itu terbakar dengan amat teruk. kulitnya mengelupas manakala anak perempuannya turut cedera tetapi tidak seteruk bapanya.

"Dia berjalan menghampiri saya dan memberitahu, saya kehilangan isteri dan seorang lagi anak saya, saya hanya mahu anda menyelamatkan anak perempuan saya," kata wanita itu.

Kebakaran itu yang diburukkan dengan angin kencang menyebabkan suhu mencecah 46 darjah Celsius di bandar Victoria dan sekitarnya.

Kebakaran hutan itu menjadikan bandar Healesville menjadi padang jarak padang terkukur mankala sebahagian besar bandar Kinglake turut musnah.

Sejumlah rumah, stesen petrol dan sekolah turut hangus dijilat api.

"Api dari neraka mengunjungi penduduk Victoria," kata Perdana Menteri Australia, Kevin Rudd ketika melawat kawasan terbakar semalam.

Menurutnya, sebanyak 3,000 anggota bomba bertungkus-lumus memadamkan api manakala kerajaan akan menyalurkan bantuan kecemasan awal berjumlah AS$7 juta (RM25 juta).

Beberapa saksi menggambarkan pokok-pokok meletup dan angkasa dipenuhi dengan abu.

"Ia adalah hujan api," kata seorang penduduk.

"Kami hanya memerhatikan rumah kami terbakar selama satu jam," tambahnya. - AP

dexa

Institut Kajian Jenayah Australia minggu lepas, menyiarkan laporan yang menyatakan separuh daripada 20,000 hingga 30,000 kebakaran belukar yang berlaku di negara ini setiap tahun telah dicetuskan dengan sengaja.

Polis di New South Wales berkata, mereka menyoal siasat seorang lelaki berusia 31 tahun berhubung kebakaran belukar yang dicetuskan di Peats Ridge, ke utara Sydney semalam.

Menurut Ketua Menteri South Australia, Mike Rann, sekurang-kurangnya 20 peratus kebakaran di negeri itu pada musim panas ini disebabkan perbuatan khianat manakala 20 peratus lagi berpunca daripada "kebodohan atau kecuaian. - AFP

amazed

February 09, 2009
Aussie Bushfire Deaths Could Top 200




MELBOURNE, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- Towns have been declared crime scenes and the death toll in Victoria's bushfires could top 200, as the search for bodies continues in communities which have been wiped out.

As of 6pm Monday, the toll had reached 131, but the figure was certain to climb as identification experts were called in to take over from volunteer firefighters with the grim task of recovering bodies, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reports.

Senior fire and parks officials have told staff they feared the toll might double.

More than 700 homes have been destroyed, 330,000 hectares razed and more than 52 fires listed as still burning, throughout the state.

It was impossible to tell how many people were missing, authorities said, while one insurance company said the fires could cost half a billion (Aussie) dollars.

The Kinglake area remains the worst-hit by a fierce 220,000 hectare firestorm which ripped through the region on Saturday, killing 103 people so far, and destroying over 550 homes.

At least, 33 residents from the township of Kinglake alone have been killed, and a further nine from Kinglake West, with more expected.

The once-idyllic communities of Kinglake, Strathewen and Marysville are little more than collections of ash and charcoal, with a few burnt-out house frames standing limply amid charred corrugated iron, the AAP report said.

Popular holiday destination Marysville was annihilated and is one town to be declared a crime scene as police chief Commissioner Christine Nixon confirmed some fires were deliberately lit.

An emotional Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the firebugs responsible were nothing short of mass murderers.

The Churchill fire in Gippsland, which police confirm was deliberately lit, had killed at least 19 people by 6pm Monday, including nine in Callignee.

The 35,000-hectare blaze broke through containment lines earlier in the day and hit the town of Churchill, which is also a crime scene, and was threatening nearby Yarram.

In the north of the state, fire around Dederang escalated significantly late on Monday afternoon, also threatening the towns of Beechworth and Yackandandah.

Ash and embers were threatening communities in Gundowring, Gundowring Upper, Glen Creek, Kergunyah South, Mudgeegonga and Running Creek.

Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers have been traumatised by many of the gruesome discoveries and the job of searching for bodies has been taken over by specialised police Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) teams.

Twenty serious burns patients have been admitted to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne within 24 hours, all with burns to more than 30 per cent of their bodies.

The Queen of England expressed shock at the devastating bushfires in a message to Australia.

-- BERNAMA




holy sheep!!!!   mmg devastating betul!!!  

amazed

Monday February 9, 2009
Australian bushfires kill 131, dozens missing
By Simone Giuliani

WHITTLESEA, Australia (Reuters) - Weary firefighters and rescuers pulled the remains of dozens of people from charred buildings on Monday as the death toll rose to 131 from Australia's deadliest bushfires.

A police officer searches the remains of a home where the occupants remain unaccounted for in the fire-ravaged town of Kinglake, about 46 km northeast of Melbourne, February 9, 2009. (REUTERS/Trevor Pinder/Pool)

"Everybody's gone. Everybody's gone. Everybody. Their houses are gone. They're all dead in the houses there. Everybody's dead," cried Christopher Harvey, a survivor from Kinglake where most people were killed, as he walked through the town.

Police believe some of the fires, which razed rural towns near the country's second biggest city, Melbourne, were deliberately lit and declared one devastated town a crime scene.

"There are no words to describe it other than mass murder," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told local television.

"These numbers (dead) are numbing ... and I fear they will rise further," he added.

The bushfires are the country's worst natural disaster in more than a century, and will put pressure on Rudd to deliver a broad new climate policy.

One massive bushfire tore through several towns in the southern state of Victoria on Saturday night, destroying everything in its path. Many people died in cars trying to flee and others were killed huddled in their homes, yet some escaped by jumping in swimming pools or farm reservoirs.

The inferno was as tall as a four-storey building at one stage and was sparking spot fires 40 km ahead of itself as the strong winds blew hot embers in its path.

"It's going to look like Hiroshima, I tell you. It's going to look like a nuclear bomb. There are animals dead all over the road," said Harvey.

More than 750 houses were destroyed and some 78 people, with serious burns and injuries, are in hospital.
Many patients had burns to more than 30 percent of their bodies and some injuries were worse than the Bali bombings in 2002, said one doctor at a hospital emergency department.

CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY

Wildfires are a natural annual event in Australia, but this year a combination of scorching weather, drought and tinder-dry bush has created prime conditions.

The fires, and major floods in the Queensland in the north, will put pressure on Rudd who is due to deliver a new climate policy in May. Green politicians are citing the extreme weather to back a tougher climate policy.

Scientists say Australia, with its harsh environment, is set to be one of the nations most affected nations by climate change.

"Continued increases in greenhouse gases will lead to further warming and drier conditions in southern Australia, so the (fire) risks are likely to slightly worsen," said Kevin Hennessy at the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Centre (CSIRO).

The Victorian bushfire tragedy is the worst natural disaster in Australia in 110 years. In 1899, Cyclone Mahina struck Australia's northern Cape York, killing more than 400.

PLEAS FOR MISSING

Thousands of firefighters continued on Monday to battle the fire and scores of other blazes across the southern state of Victoria, as well as fires in neighbouring New South Wales state.

While cooler, less windy, conditions helped firefighters, 10 major fires remained out of control in Victoria. But the week-long heatwave that triggered the bushfire inferno was over.

The fires burnt out more than 330,000 ha of mostly bushland in Victoria, but a number of vineyards in the Yarra Valley were also destroyed. The Insurance Council of Australia said it was too early to estimate the bill.

The small town of Marysville was sealed off by police as forensic scientists searched through the rubble for evidence about the cause of the fire which destroyed many of its homes.

As dawn broke in the town of Whittlesea, near Kinglake where most people died, shocked residents wandered the streets, some crying, searching for loved ones still missing.

"The last anyone saw of them, the kids were running in the house, they were blocked in the house," cried Sam Gents who had not heard from his wife Tina and three young children, aged 6, 13 and 15, since an inferno swept through Kinglake.

"If they let me up the mountain I know where to go (to try and find them)," Gents sobbed. Authorities sealed off Kinglake as bodies were still being recovered.

Handwritten notes pinned to a board in the Whittlesea evacuation centre told the same sad story, with desperate pleas from people for their missing family and friends to contact them.

Rudd said it would take years to rebuild the devastated towns and has announced a A$10 million ($6.8 million) aid package. He has also called in the army to help erect emergency shelter.

The previous worst bushfire tragedy in Australia was in 1983 when 75 people were killed.

nour2001

latest news death toll hit 173..this has been a national tragedy and one of our blackest day so far..some of the fires are deliberately lit and harsher punishment are awaiting those who found guilty of these heineous crime..too bad we don't have death penalty as it has been abolished years ago..arsonist equal terrorist..no doubt..gila betul sesapa yg sesuka hati saja mau lit the fire bila cuaca panas terik with strong gutsy wind..

dexa

Kematian meningkat 171 orang



API membakar satu kawasan hutan dekat Kinglake semalam.


WHITTLESEA - Sejumlah anggota bomba dan penyelamat semalam mengeluarkan puluhan mayat daripada bangunan yang musnah menjadikan angka kematian akibat kebakaran hutan di Australia meningkat kepada 171 orang.




"Mereka semua mati di dalam rumah di sana. Setiap orang mati," kata seorang mangsa yang terselamat, Christopher Harvey di bandar Kinglake.

Polis percaya sebahagian daripada kebakaran itu yang memusnahkan bandar-bandar di kawasan pedalaman dekat bandar raya Melbourne dilakukan dengan sengaja.

"Tidak ada perkataan lain untuk menggambarkannya selain daripada pembunuhan besar-besaran," kata Perdana Menteri Kevin Rudd kepada stesen televisyen tempatan.

Satu kebakaran besar yang berlaku pada Sabtu lalu di negeri Victoria memusnahkan apa sahaja menyebabkan kebanyakan orang terbunuh dalam kereta.

Sebahagian orang terjun ke dalam kolam renang dan kawasan tadahan air di ladang untuk menyelamatkan diri.

Api menjulang setinggi bangunan empat tingkat pada satu peringkat dan keluasan kawasan merebak sehingga 40 kilometer.

Keluasan kebakaran itu adalah lebih 330,000 hektar di negeri Victoria.

Lebih 750 buah rumah musnah dan puluhan orang lagi dirawat di hospital kerana melecur.

Kebakaran hutan merupakan satu fenomena biasa di Australia tetapi kombinasi cuaca panas terik, kemarau dan belukar yang kering menyebabkan api merebak dengan pantas.

Sebelum ini tragedi kebakaran paling buruk di negara itu berlaku pada 1983 apabila 75 orang terbunuh.

- Reuters


**********************************************************************************

dengar news semalam.... depa mark kawasan tu  'crime scene' sebab
ni bukan lagi natural disaster - tak natural kebakaran ni -- tapi adalah
perbuatan jenayah manusia --

nour2001

its a mixed of both..human and nature..ada tu buat back burning sbb nak elak bush fire (controlled back burning) tapi tak terkawal akhirnya jadi merebak..yg paling teruk jenis saja2 bakar with the intention of causing bigger fire..arsonist mcm ni lah yg patut ditangkap dan dibakar hidup2!!:@

amazed

aku pun rasa half and half...  natural plus boktan kenat worang jugak ni!!!

amazed

ebruary 10, 2009

Death Toll From Savage Bushfires Leaps To 173

MELBOURNE, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- The death toll from the Victoria fires leapt to 173 overnight as authorities found bodies clustered together where people fleeing the flames or trying to save their homes had been overwhelmed.

Twenty-four fires were still burning early Tuesday morning and towns remained under threat as authorities moved deeper into the ruins of those communities hit in the fire's first wave, when more than 700 homes were lost, the Herald Sun online reports.

Bushfire relief funds were receiving A$1 million in donations an hour yesterday, with A$15 million pledged by last night.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Victorian Premier John Brumby have vowed to rebuild the razed communities, but as the toll mounts the grim fates of many of their people are becoming clearer.

Thirty-five people died in the small town of Kinglake alone, while 22 deaths had been confirmed in St Andrews out of a population of just 1500.

Strathewen, with only 200 people before the bushfires, had lost 30 residents in the last official count.

amazed

Tugas perit keluarkan mangsa
[table=300][tr][td]
[/td][/tr][tr][td]Pegawai Kanan Hidupan Liar, Geoff McClure melihat kemusnahan pekan Marysville, kira-kira 100 kilometer dari Melbourne, semalam.

dexa

Api hutan Australia bagaikan lahar



SEBUAH kawasan belukar masih terbakar di Lembah
Kiewa di Pergunungan Alps, Australia semalam.

HEALESVILLE - "Saya sedar orang ramai terbunuh di sekeliling kami, saya sedar," kata Annette Smit ketika menceritakan mengenai ribut api yang memusnahkan kediamannya di Australia dan hampir meragut nyawanya.

Beliau menyatakan demikian ketika angka kematian akibat kebakaran hutan di negeri Victoria, selatan Australia meningkat kepada 181 orang.

"Ketika itu berlaku hujan api, ia bagaikan lahar," kata Smit kepada sebuah akhbar tempatan mengenai kebakaran hutan terburuk di Australia yang berlaku pada hujung minggu lalu itu.

Sebahagian hutan masih lagi terbakar manakala sebahagian kawasan berjaya dipadam oleh anggota-anggota bomba.

Polis mengesyaki kebakaran itu dilakukan dengan sengaja.

"Anda tidak dapat melihat arah tujuan anda, apa yang anda dapat lihat hanyalah jalan raya," kata Smit ketika dia dan pasangannya cuba melarikan diri dengan kereta mereka tetapi kenderaan itu meletup akibat bahang panas.

Dia dan pasangannya merupakan antara mangsa terselamat di kawasan paling teruk terjejas akibat kebakaran itu di bandar Kinglake Barat, Victoria.

Dia berkata, mereka tiada pilihan melainkan mencari tempat berlindung bersama-sama jiran lain ketika api semakin marak.

"Kami memecahkan sebuah tingkap dan berlindung di bawah rumah. Kira-kira 10 orang berusaha memadamkan kebakaran di rumah itu bagi memastikan kami selamat," katanya. - Agensi


*************************************************************************************

dah pernah pergi negeri victoria kat melbourne.. tapi tak ada lah sampai
ke kinglake sana...  simpati pada mangsa2 forestfire ni...
sekarang ni sedang buat discussion pasal forest - juga - mostly
rainforest and desiduous forest... interesting stuff -

apa2 pun.. hopefully - tak ada lagi mangsa.. terlalu ramai yang
terbakar ni.. tak sempat nak larikan diri.. --

nour2001

dexa, melbourne tu ibu negeri victoria..mcm ipoh dlm perak..

amazed

Polis buru pembakar hutan

KAWASAN hutan hangus dijilat api di Jeeralong West, 200 km di tenggara Melbourne, semalam.

Australia anggap golongan khianat sebagai pengganas sebabkan 173 maut

SYDNEY: Polis Australia mengharungi kawasan kebakaran semalam untuk mencari petunjuk dalam usaha memburu orang yang dipercayai memulakan kebakaran hutan paling buruk di negara itu.

Sekurang-kurangnya 173 disahkan terbunuh walaupun akhbar Australia melaporkan angka mungkin sudah mencecah 230 orang.

Pesuruhjaya Polis Victoria, Christine Nixon, semalam melancarkan 'Operasi Phoenix', siasatan kebakaran akibat perbuatan khianat terbesar dalam sejarah negara, berjanji akan menangkap mereka yang memulakan kebakaran itu.


"Mereka pengganas dan perlu dilayan seperti pengganas," kata Perdana Menteri Australia Selatan, Mike Rann, sambil menambah 20 peratus kebakaran di negerinya setiap tahun dimulakan dengan sengaja.

Perdana Menteri Victoria, John Brumby, berkata mereka yang didapati bersalah berdepan dakwaan membunuh tanpa niat dan membunuh dengan niat.

Seluruh kawasan bencana, merangkumi lebih 20 bandar di utara Melbourne, kini adalah zon jenayah. Pita polis dipasang di sekitar rumah rentung yang di dalamnya ada mayat.

Pihak berkuasa berkata, angka kematian akan terus meningkat ketika mereka meneruskan pencarian di lebih 750 rumah yang musnah dalam kebakaran malam Sabtu lalu. Kira-kira 25 kebakaran masih berlaku.

Perdana Menteri Australia, Kevin Rudd, menyifatkan kejadian itu sebagai 'pembunuhan besar-besaran' dan menggantung jadual politiknya untuk hari kedua bagi cuba menenangkan rakyat yang bersedih.

Kebakaran menambah tekanan ke atas Rudd untuk mengambil tindakan tegas berhubung perubahan iklim ketika saintis menyalahkan kepanasan global yang menyemarakkan bencana itu.

"Tragedi minggu ini menunjukkan kita kini berdepan perubahan iklim di Australia dan semua ini menunjukkan apa yang kita hilang," kata aktivis Greenpeace, Trish Harrup, dalam satu kenyataan.
Katanya, kebakaran hutan menunjukkan 'jendela menakutkan mengenai kehidupan di planet yang panas.'

Tragedi itu adalah bencana semula jadi paling buruk di Australia dalam masa 110 tahun. Kejadian terburuk sebelum ini adalah kebakaran Ash Wednesday pada 1983 yang mengorbankan 75 orang dan memusnahkan lebih 2,000 rumah. � Reuters



tragedi!!!   mcm lagu bee gees... tragedy.........