Over 30,000 forced to flee Australia's Gippsland Valley as bushfires rage
Over 30,000 people had been told to evacuate Australia's East Gippsland region before 9 a.m. local time on Monday, as soaring temperatures and high winds are expected to fan the flames of three enormous wildfires which have already burnt through 130,000 hectares of forest.
Over 30,000 people had been told to evacuate Australia's East Gippsland region before 9 a.m. local time on Monday, as soaring temperatures and high winds are expected to fan the flames of three enormous wildfires which have already burnt through 130,000 hectares of forest, Xinhua reported.
Everyone in East Gippsland must leave the area today due to the fire danger," Victoria State's Country Fire Authority (CFA) posted to social media.
Do not travel to this area. It is not possible to provide support and aid to all the visitors currently in the East Gippsland region."
A popular destination during the Christmas period for hikers, campers and families on holiday, the area in the Gippsland Valley affected by bushfires is over 15,000 square kilometers.
Its always a tough decision when you're asking a lot of people to leave an area," Andrew Crisp, the Commander of Emergency Management Victoria told the Seven Network.
However it's based on the evidence. We have a forecast today that it is going to be hot, it's very, very dry and it's going to be very windy, so we have dangerous conditions and we don't want people to be in East Gippsland."
Expecting temperatures around 43 degrees Celsius and wind gusts of 35 kilometers per hour, Crisp said because conditions are going to radically deteriorate as the day goes on, it's now too late to leave.
If you are not out by 9 o'clock, then you have to stay where you are because there is every chance the highways could be cut off," he warned.
We almost saw that yesterday afternoon. A new fire at the Cann River, we saw that fire travel 26 kilometers overnight with a column that was punching 14,000 meters into the air, creating its own weather."
Known as a pyrocumulus cloud, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology explained the phenomenon of "fire clouds" can cause dry lightning which authorities fear may the spread the blaze even further by igniting more bushland.
Over 550 forest firefighters have been dispatched in response to the emergency, along with 300 CFA volunteer firefighters.
There are also 70 planes and helicopters with water-bombing capabilities on standby for the emergency response efforts.
Source: Kazinform News Agency
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Number of dead seals along Caspian coast rises to 850
Images | Depositphotos
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Thus, the number of dead seals has already reached 850.
According to Andrey Rutskoy, acting chief of Mangistau region’s fishery inspection department, a working group consisting of inspectors, ecologists, local officials and representatives of public associations, is examining the beach. "Rocky beaches are hard to reach. The working group will go there on foot," he said.
He added that collecting samples from the last seals found is impossible, as the carcasses decomposed at the 3rd and 4th stages. The results of the samples taken at the end of October are not ready yet.
Recall that from October 24 to 28, 289 carcasses of dead seals were discovered by the employees of the Zhaiyk-Caspian Interregional Basin Fisheries Inspectorate together with the representatives of the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology. Over half of the dead female seals were pregnant, Assel Baimukanova, an operator at the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology, said.
In 2020, the Caspian seal was included in Kazakhstan’s Red Book of Endangered Species.
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Large boulder kills three people in Uzbekistan
Images | the road safety service of the Republic of Uzbekistan
A massive boulder fell from a mountain in southern Uzbekistan and smashed a passing Chevrolet Cobalt vehicle, killing three people inside, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the road safety service, the incident took place at the Takhtakaracha pass in Kashkadarya region on November 6.
Due to the incident that occurred at the 1138th km of the M-39 Tashkent-Termez highway at Takhtakaracha pass in the Kitob district of the Kashkadarya province and links Samarkand and Kashkadarya regions, traffic was temporarily halted," the road safety service stated.
Recall that a total 19,302 road accidents, affecting more than 26,703 individuals have been recorded in Kazakhstan over the course of nine months in 2024.
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Earthquake hits Almaty
The citizens of Almaty felt an earthquake today, at around 10:00 am, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the national seismological center, the quake’s preliminary magnitude was 4.5, local emergencies authorities said.
The epicenter of the quake was 33 kilometers east of Almaty, in the territory of Kazakhstan. The coordinates of the epicenter are 43.261 north latitude, and 77.310 east longitude.
The earthquake was felt in the following settlements: Almaty - 3 points, Talgar - 4 points, Yessik - 4 points, Turgen village - 3 points, Otegen Batyr village - 3 points, Boralday village - 2 points, Malovodnoye village - 2 points, Kaiypov village - 2 points, Alatau (Zhetigen) - 2 points, and Karassai (Kaskelen) - 2 points.
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Wildfires in Pavlodar region extinguished, localized in Karaganda region
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The wildfire in Pavlodar region has been extinguished, Kazinform News Agency learned from the ministry of emergencies.
The wildfire in Pavlodar region has been extinguished. The area of the fire is being determined," a statement from the ministry reads.
As reported, on October 6, a steppe fire broke out in Karaganda region, which then spread to the territory of Pavlodar region. The fire covered an area of 3,000 hectares. At 02:20 the fire, which had already spread to an area of 10,000 hectares in the Bayanaul district of Pavlodar region, was localized.
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The wildfire in Karaganda region was localized. The area of the fire is being determined.
33-year-old firefighter from Saran town, Karaganda region, Khali Khairat, died during the steppe fire in Karkaraly district on Sunday, October 6. Another four firefighters got injuries and were hospitalized.
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One firefighter died, four injured in steppe fire in Karaganda region
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
33-year-old firefighter from Saran town, Karaganda region, died during the steppe fire in Karkaraly district on Sunday, October 6. Another four firefighters got injuries and were hospitalized, Kazinform News Agency learned from the local emergencies department.
Khali Khairat has served in the civil protection authorities since May 12, 2014. Governor of the region Yermaganbet Bulekpayev and Mayor of Saran Yerkin Baulikov visited his family and expressed their condolences. Local officials provided necessary assistance in the organization of the funeral.
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Images | gov.kz
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The video capturing the crash was shared on social media. A criminal case was initiated.
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The bus driver tested negative for alcohol.
For the past four years, nearly 1,000 road accidents involving public transport occurred in Almaty.
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