The Australian Defense Force is sending military vessels and aircraft to the country's southeastern regions as massive bushfires left close to 4,000 people trapped on the beaches, the Australian government said in a statement on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st January, 2020) The Australian Defense Force is sending military vessels and aircraft to the country's southeastern regions as massive bushfires left close to 4,000 people trapped on the beaches, the Australian government said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the ABC broadcaster, up to 5,000 tourists and locals become trapped on beaches near the town of Mallacoota in the state of Victoria. Some of them took to the sea on their boats in a bid to escape savage bushfires, one of the most damaging in Australia's history.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defense Minister Linda Reynolds agreed to send military vessels and aircraft to fight bushfires in New South Wales and Victoria.
"As part of Defence support to the nation's firefighting efforts since 8 Nov, HMAS Choules [one of Australia's three amphibious ships] and MV Sycamore [a multi-role aviation training vessel contracted by Navy] are sailing to provide support on the NSW & VIC coasts. Thank you to all serving. We're in this together," Reynolds said on Twitter.
Additionally, two S-70A Black Hawk and an MRH-90 Taipan helicopter will arrive in the affected areas during the day, while two CH-47 Chinook helicopters will get there by Saturday.
The Victoria police, in the meantime, said that three police vessels had arrived with 1.6 tonnes of water, food and medications.
The death toll from bushfires in Australia stands at seven in New South Wales and one in the city of Buchan in Victoria.
During three months of bushfires, more than seven million acres of forest have reportedly been burned, destroying animal habitats, plant species and homes in the process. New fires were also ignited on Tuesday due to lightning storms caused by the smoke from the bushfires.
The fires have been the result of severe drought and record-setting temperatures in Australia. Last Wednesday, Australia recorded its warmest day on record, with an average maximum of 107.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
