Imililo engaphezu kwamashumi ayisikhombisa isaqhubeka nokuqubuka I-New South Wales, nabayishumi nesikhombisa kubo okumenyezelwe ukuthi bayizinga eliphuthumayo, izikhulu zomlilo zase-Australia zithi, njengoba imimoya enamandla kanye nesimo sezulu esomile kudala izimo eziseduze-ezifanele ukuze umlilo usakazeke ngokushesha.
Isibhakabhaka saseNew South Wales sicwebezela njengesawolintshi esisabisayo ngemuva kokuba imililo yequbula equbuke ezingxenyeni ezithile zezwe, yabulala abantu ababili, yalinganisa inqwaba yemizi futhi yacekela phansi indawo enkulu yokuhlala ye-koala.
Imililo yamabhulashi evuselelwe - eshise izikhawu empumalanga ye-Australia izinyanga - ishube kakhulu ngoLwesihlanu, yacekela phansi amakhaya angaphezu kwe-100 eNew South Wales (NSW). Abantu abayisikhombisa abakaziwa ukuthi bashonephi kulo mlilo kanti kulimale abangaphezu kuka-30.
Imililo engaphezu kuka-70 iyaqhubeka nokuvutha e-NSW, kanti engu-17 yayo imenyezelwe ezingeni eliphuthumayo, kusho izikhulu zomlilo zendawo, njengoba umoya onamandla kanye nesimo sezulu esomile kudala izimo eziseduze zokuthi umlilo ubhebhetheke ngokushesha.
Amavidiyo abonakale ezinkundleni zokuxhumana ekhombisa lo mlilo ngesikhathi ushanela emahlathini nasezindaweni zokuhlala e-NSW.
Izithombe zesathelayithi ezifakwe ku-inthanethi ziphinde zanikeza umbono wenyoni womlilo, okubonisa ukuqhubeka kwawo njengoba umasha ubheke empumalanga ubheke ogwini.
Izimo zizoba zimbi kakhulu ngoMgqibelo, ukhomishana we-NSF Rural Fire Service uShane Fitzsimmons utshele abe-ABC News.
"Ngilindele ukubona lawo mazinga aqaphile eshintsha usuku lonke, mhlawumbe abe mabi kakhulu, okungenzeka kakhulu kunalokho, njengoba imimoya yantambama ithatha futhi ukuziphatha komlilo kusakazeka kancane," kusho ukhomishana.
Omunye wabalimele umphakathi wasekoala osengcupheni yombuso, indawo yawo esulwe kakhulu ngenxa yomlilo.
“Lapho besicabanga ukuthi sinama-koala, manje sesicabanga ukuthi ashisiwe,” kusho uSue Ashton, umongameli weSibhedlela sasePort Macquarie Koala, etshela iphephandaba lendawo. “Umlilo ushubile, yikho okwenzekayo.”
Ngenkathi u-Ashton ethe izibalo azizange zibuyekezwe ngemuva komlilo ovuselelwe wangoLwesihlanu, waphawula ukuthi cishe izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zendawo yokuhlala i-koala kule ndawo yayicekelwe phansi ngaphambili, futhi wabikezela ukuthi cishe ama-koala angama-350 kungenzeka ukuthi afa esewonke. Izibalo kungenzeka zikhule ngemuva komlilo wakamuva.
Imililo eminingana kubikwe nokuthi idlangile esifundazweni saseQueensland, enyakatho ye-NSW, okungenani owodwa wayo ubekwe ezingeni lezimo eziphuthumayo. Ngokulandela umyalelo weziphathimandla zendawo zokucisha umlilo, izinkulungwane zezakhamuzi zashiya amakhaya azo zalala ezikhungweni zokuphuma.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- Imililo engaphezu kuka-70 iyaqhubeka nokuvutha e-NSW, kanti engu-17 yayo imenyezelwe ezingeni eliphuthumayo, kusho izikhulu zomlilo zendawo, njengoba umoya onamandla kanye nesimo sezulu esomile kudala izimo eziseduze zokuthi umlilo ubhebhetheke ngokushesha.
- Over seventy fires continue to rage in New South Wales, with seventeen of them declared to be an emergency level, Australian fire officials say, as high winds and dry weather create near-ideal conditions for the blaze to rapidly spread.
- While Ashton said the figures were not updated after Friday's renewed fires, she noted that around two-thirds of the koala's habitat in the area had been destroyed previously, and predicted that as many as 350 koalas may have perished in total.
