24 April 2024,   02:05
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Australia fires: Canberra declares state of emergency

A state of emergency has been declared for Canberra and its surrounding areas, also known as the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
Bushfires are currently burning south of the city and officials have described them as the worst fire threat to the area in almost 20 years.
The main blaze is burning over more than 18 500 hectares, which is almost 8% of the ACT’s territory.
People living in Canberra have been asked to stay alert as they may need to be evacuated from the city at any time.
The ACT, which is home to around 400 000 people, has been impacted by bushfires before. Fires caused damage to Canberra and its surrounding areas back in 2003 and 470 homes were left destroyed or damaged.

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