108 dead in Australian fires

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-09-2009 13:30

Bushfires in Australia's state of Victoria continue leaving swaths of devastation, killing 108 people. As searchers work their way in to scorched communities the number of fire victims is likely to rise.

Country Fire Authority volunteers prepare to move to save another house as a barn burns in the background close to  Labertouche, west of Melbourne.(AFP/William West)

Entire towns have been wiped out by wildfires raging through Victoria. The flames trapped people in homes and cars in the deadliest blazes in the country's history.

At least 750 homes were destroyed as searing temperatures and wind blasts combined to produce a firestorm on Saturday.

There was a scene of utter devastation on Sunday in the town of Marysville.

Witnesses say about 90 percent of the buildings in the town had burned, and two people died there.

Mike Wasley, Marysville Ambulance officer, said, "Everyone's shell-shocked. When they hear of some of the things that have happened, there's some tragedies here. But last night you know spirits were really good when we realized. We met people here that had survived, and the local policeman, he's a legend. He kept a smile on everyone's face. Although everyone here are legends really, we all banded together."