Australia Battling Fire On One Coast, Floods On Another - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th December, 2021) Australia is battling two natural disasters, as its west coast is being battered by forest fires, while major floods are hitting the east coast of the country, media reported on Friday.

According to 9News, after several weeks of heat, bushfires flared up on the west coast. Heavy smoke is observed in the Augusta-Margaret River region. Firefighters are on the ground trying to prevent the spread of fire.

All tourists and residents in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park are being evacuated, according to media reports. The Bussell Highway has been closed to traffic.

Over 5,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed, the report said. No damage to buildings, injuries or other deaths have been reported so far, but a man is currently considered missing due to the disaster.

At the same time, the other side of the continent is hit by storms. Several cities on the Australian east coast, including its capital, Sydney, have been lashed by terrible rains resulting in the massive floods.

Storms and high winds have damaged roofs, downed trees and knocked out power.

According to Nine news, over the past two day, two women have died in flooding waters in the region.