Australia bushfires: Two dead in New South Wales blazes

2019-11-09 16:07:58

At least two people are dead and seven others missing in "unprecedented" bushfires in Australia. As the fire emergency continued into its second day on Saturday, officials confirmed that more than 150 homes in New South Wales had burned down. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes, while bridges, schools and power lines were destroyed. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned the number of casualties would continue to rise throughout the day. The two known victims were killed by a fire near Glen Innes, about 550 km (340 miles) north of Sydney. About 1,000 firefighters are attempting to tackle the blazes in New South Wales, supported by water-bombing aircraft. There are reports of people trapped in their homes in several places, with crew unable to reach them due to the strength of the fires. Gusty winds and up to 35C heat have exacerbated the fires, many of which are in drought-affected areas.