Australia bushfires survivors, kin of dead to get $470 mn

Sydney, July 15 (IANS/EFE) Survivors of the February 2009 fires that killed 173 people in southern Australia will receive a record compensation of nearly $470 million (nearly A$425 million) according to a court ruling made public Tuesday.

A total of 173 persons died in the fire on what is known as "Black Saturday", when 2,029 houses and more than 4,500 sq km of bush were burnt in the devastating fire in the state of Victoria.

Survivors of the fires filed a lawsuit against the SP AusNet power company and asset managers Utility Services Group after a government commission concluded that the fire was caused by a damaged electric cable.

The Supreme Court in the state of Victoria settled the case involving 10,000 plaintiffs, among them the relatives of 119 people killed in the deadliest blaze in Kilmore East area north of Melbourne, the injured and neighbours who lost their houses, the ABC channel reported Tuesday.

SP AusNet said the agreement was reached without admitting liability of the company and other parties involved.

"SP AusNet's position has been, and continues to be, that the conductor which broke and which initiated the fire was damaged by lightning, compromising its fail-safety design in a manner which was undetectable at the time," the company said in a statement.

SP AusNet will pay around $355 million and Utility Services Corporation $11.74 million more to the victims.

In addition, institutions like the Victoria Police, the fire department and the environment ministry will pay $97.31 million for inadequate warnings during the fire and insufficient controlled burns.

--IANS/EFE

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