The Australian wildfires continue to rage. People from Mallacoota on the south-east of the country have had to evacuate to local beaches for safety. The situation however has turned and they are trapped by the encircling blaze.
According to DW, over four thousand people are currently trapped on the beaches. Airborne and sea evacuation operations are being planned.
Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp told DW that: ‘Mallacoota is under attack, it is pitch black and very scary. We have 4,000 people on the beach and nearby who are protected by our firefighters.’
Many have taken boats out into the water, in fear of the fires moving closer.
Fires are still engulfing Australia, with over 100,000 people evacuated from suburbia in Melbourne. The fires in the seaside town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales have also forced residents to flee to the beaches.
Since the outbreak of the wildfires, 12 people have been confirmed dead. One of which was a fireman who was struck by a 12-ton fire truck, after a freak ‘fire tornado’ lifted the vehicle and spun it around.
Locals and tourists holding tight on the #Mallacoota wharf as the bushfire passes through the popular seaside summer holiday spot #AustraliaBurns (📷 from ‘travelling_aus_family’ on Instagram). pic.twitter.com/NfQxlwObxv
— Siobhan Heanue (@siobhanheanue) December 31, 2019
Image: Twitter
