Firefighters battling wildfires in Australia are braced for conditions to get worse, with high temperatures and strong winds set to intensify the danger.
In the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, one of the worst-hit regions in fire-ravaged New South Wales state, 193 homes have been destroyed and 109 damaged, the Rural Fire Service said. The damage toll was set to rise as police go in search of survivors and victims.
With 68 fires still burning - 22 of them out of control - and dangerous weather conditions forecast, authorities expect the worst.
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