Wildfire forces Australians to take refuge on beach, two dead

New Year's Eve fireworks over Sydney's Harbour Bridge on December 31. The officials were slammed for the celebrations as wildfires spread uncontrollably in parts of Australia. Pic/AFP

Victoria: As wildfires spread uncontrollably in parts of Australia, thousands of people have taken refuge on a beach in the south-east part of the country. Two people have been killed so far.

Early in the morning, about 4,000 residents and visitors were forced to leave their homes and vacation accommodation in Mallacoota - a town in the East Gippsland region of Victoria, a state in southeast Australia. The town has activated its emergency siren warning of the imminent fire threat and residents have headed to the seaside, reported CNN.

As of Monday, there were more than 10 fires in the East Gippsland region alone, which is home to over 80,000 people. Three areas in the region are burning for more than a month. The death toll is rising slowly and two people were found dead on Tuesday in Cobargo. More than 900 homes have been destroyed in New South Wales.

The smoke from the fire turned the sky pitch black in the morning and bright orange in the day, CNN reported. Photographs from the town showed fire approaching the town and homes burning. Fires have wreaked havoc in parts of Austalia for months. Across Victoria, 70 new fires began on Monday of which more than 20 are still active.

900
No. of homes destroyed in New South Wales

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