Five die in bushfires

2005-01-11 08:55

Adelaide - At least five people have died in bushfires fanned by searing temperatures raging through parts of South Australia state on Tuesday, police and emergency services said.

No details were immediately available of the dead or of the number of properties destroyed in the blaze sweeping the state's Eyre Peninsula, but police said five people had been killed and there were unconfirmed reports of more deaths.

A witness told ABC radio that the town of North Shields had been destroyed, but this could not be immediately confirmed.

"At this stage we can confirm that five people have died," a police spokesperson said. "They are all from a fire burning on the Eyre Peninsula near Port Lincoln."

The Eyre Peninsula blaze was the most severe of numerous bushfires reported throughout the state, including two which forced the closure of highways on Adelaide's southern and southeastern outskirts.

Temperatures in parts of the state have topped 44°C in recent days.

Emergency services said conditions made the fires almost uncontrollable.

The local State Emergency Service said boats were deployed to save people who had jumped into the sea to escape the flames.

- AFP