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| Originally Aired: February 9, 2009 |
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Death Toll Grows in Australian Wildfires |
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| The death toll has risen in Australia's worst wildfire disaster in history, and the extremely fast-moving fires caught many off-guard. Independent Television News correspondent Libby Weiner reports. |
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Kinglake was devastated
LIBBY WEINER: Virtually nothing is left of the town of Kinglake; 500 homes have gone, and the roadside is strewn with the wreckage of cars that didn't make it.There were emotional scenes in the valley below as those who did escape comforted their loved ones. Most have nothing left but the clothes they stood in. Vivian Gower and her mother, Shirley only just got out in time. AUSTRALIAN WOMAN: "Get in the car, get in the car," she said. And I said, "Why? Why? What's the matter?" She said, "Get in the flippin' car!" AUSTRALIAN WOMAN: And I just -- and I just looked out, and suddenly I could smell the smoke. AUSTRALIAN MAN: All their best friends are dead. Their kids are dead. And, you know, I played golf with a 12-year-old kid on Saturday, and he's not here anymore. AUSTRALIAN MAN: I lost two kids, mate. You know? You know? Nothing will bring them back. |
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Army called upon
LIBBY WEINER: With the death toll rising, the army were drafted in. Exhausted rescue workers getting little respite. Elsewhere, hospitals were treating the most severely burned, but in reality, most in this disaster survived uninjured or died.The prime minister, Kevin Rudd, came to comfort a bewildered community, aware that these are dark days for Australia. KEVIN RUDD, prime minister, Australia: And there but for the grace of God go I, because any of us could have been in this situation. |
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Fires were still burning
LIBBY WEINER: It was often a split-second decision which determined whether someone lived or died. Those who took to the roads in their cars had been warned they might perish on the way, and many did, but some miraculously got through.Others who decided to sit out the blaze in their homes -- standard procedure in a normal bushfire -- found themselves completely overwhelmed. In this inferno, they didn't stand a chance. Today there are still many fires burning in Victoria, residents again facing the dilemma of whether to leave or stay. AUSTRALIAN MAN: Make up your own mind what you're going to do. Each house is different, everyone's circumstances different. LIBBY WEINER: But with scenes of utter devastation across the state, it's unlikely many will now want to stay behind. The Australian bush, once seen as a haven, now feared for the hellish firestorm unleashed in its midst. |
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