Thousands of people were attempting to flee the bushfires threatening a popular tourist area on Australia’s east coast.
The authorities of New South Wales ordered all tourists and non-residents to leave the fire zone which includes the resort town of Batemans Bay and stretches 250 kilometers to the border with Australian state of Victoria. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian also declared a seven-day state of emergency that would allow the authorities to forcibly remove people from areas threatened by fires.