Australia suffers from the worst fires in the country's history. In the last three days more than 130 people have been killed and the fires destroyed complete villages in the southern state of Victoria. The Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has accused arsonists of “mass murder” as the death toll from bushfires reached 131 yesterday. Horrific stories have emerged of people who got trapped in their cars and could not get away in time. Police squads continue to search for survivors, but they mainly find bodies in the remains of the 750 homes destroyed by the fire.
Marysville, a small town in the northeast of Victoria, was completely razed by a bushfire. It has been declared a crime scene as it is believed that the fire was deliberately lit. It is estimated around 750 homes have been destroyed and more than 300,000 hectares of land burnt. The authorities said some fires could take weeks or even a few months to contain.
For more pictures, visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2009/feb/07/australia-fires?picture=342947493
(Pictures: Timesonline.co.uk, LAtimes.com)
