Australia’s east coast declares state of emergency amid ‘catastrophic’ fire threat 0 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy ReutersSYDNEY (Reuters) – Authorities in Australia’s Queensland and New South Wales states on Monday declared a state of emergency as the country’s eastern region prepared for “catastrophic” fire conditions. Fires in northern New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland over the weekend killed three people and destroyed more than 150 homes. Bushfires are a common and deadly threat in Australia’s hot, dry summers, a danger stoked by a sustained period dry weather across the country’s east coast. In 2009, Australia’s worst bushfires on record destroyed thousands of homes in Victoria, killing 173 people and injuring 414 on a day the media dubbed “Black Saturday”.

Source: Manila Bulletin November 11, 2019 00:09 UTC