Australian police say the death toll from wildfires in the country's southeast has risen to at least 93, making it Australia's deadliest brushfire disaster.
Police today (Sunday) said the victims died in several fires that have blazed through Victoria state. They say the death toll could climb, as rescue crews comb through the ruins. Officials say some of those who died were trapped in cars trying to flee the blazes.
Authorities say at least 18 people have been injured in up to 400 fires raging around Melbourne. More than 700 homes were destroyed and some three thousand square kilometers of land have been affected.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he will send troops to help thousands of volunteer firefighters exhausted from battling the blazes. The Victorian state premier, John Brumby, says the fires are the worst the region has ever endured, with some set by arsonists.