PM pledges to rebuild fire-hit Australia

Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has vowed his country would rally after the worst bushfires in its history. Rudd told MPs that areas devastated by bushfires would be rebuilt "brick by brick" and "school by school". PM pledges to rebuild fire-hit Australia The death toll so far is 173, but it is expected to rise significantly as the operation to recover bodies continues. A specialist police unit has been set up to track down arsonists blamed for some of the fires, which Mr Rudd described as "murder on a grand scale". "We are left speechless at the thought and the possibility that some of these fires may have been deliberately lit," he told the Canberra parliament. "Let us attend to this unfinished business of the nation and come to grips with this evil thing." Some 500 people have been injured and nearly 10,000 homes destroyed across 365,000 hectares of torched land, said Rudd. Residents in parts of Victoria state are still on alert as more than a dozen fires continue to burn uncontrolled. Despite cooler conditions than at the weekend, officials in Victoria have warned residents to watch out for embers blowing in from the blazes. Rudd promised damaged communities would be rebuilt, and there would be no limit on federal spending. "We have deliberately made the decision to place no cap on the Commonwealth's contribution to the recovery and reconstruction effort," he said. Although it would take time and effort, he added, "we will rebuild each of these communities... until one day we can look back and say these towns have been reborn". He appealed for charitable donations and said about A$15mn (GBP 6.8mn) had been collected so far. Mr Rudd earlier announced an aid package of A$10mn. The Australian Red Cross has appealed for blood, money and clothes, as some people escaping from the fires fled their homes with only the clothes they were wearing. Crime scenes? The 100-strong Task Force Phoenix will work with the Victoria state coroners' office, as well as fire and health authorities, to investigate all fire-related deaths. Detectives have already sealed off a number of sites, including the devastated small town of Maryville, as possible crime scenes. In Australia, deliberately lighting a fire which results in death carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, while intentionally or recklessly causing a bushfire carries a 15-year maximum sentence. Victoria's Police Commissioner Christine Nixon said rescuers were searching charred areas road by road and house by house. "This the really worst part of the process for all of us. It is about a house-to-house and vehicle-to-vehicle, in some cases, to find those who've died," she said. "As we go into areas now that we haven't been able to get into before, we believe we'll find many more." Walls of flame Forensic investigators from around the country, including experts who helped to identify those killed in the Bali bombings in October 2002, have flown in to help the operation. Forensic teams have the difficult task of identifying remains found in burnt-out houses and cars, says the BBC in Melbourne. In the nearby town of Kinglake, vast areas have been reduced to ash, our correspondent says - a once-vibrant community scorched by fast-moving walls of flame. A record heatwave and changing wind directions on Saturday helped fan the flames. Many people are searching for loved ones among the survivors taking refuge in Victoria's relief centres.

PM pledges to rebuild fire-hit Australia

The death toll so far is 173, but it is expected to rise significantly as the operation to recover bodies continues.

A specialist police unit has been set up to track down arsonists blamed for some of the fires, which Mr Rudd described as "murder on a grand scale".

"We are left speechless at the thought and the possibility that some of these fires may have been deliberately lit," he told the Canberra parliament.

"Let us attend to this unfinished business of the nation and come to grips with this evil thing."

Some 500 people have been injured and nearly 10,000 homes destroyed across 365,000 hectares of torched land, said Rudd.

Residents in parts of Victoria state are still on alert as more than a dozen fires continue to burn uncontrolled.

Despite cooler conditions than at the weekend, officials in Victoria have warned residents to watch out for embers blowing in from the blazes.

Rudd promised damaged communities would be rebuilt, and there would be no limit on federal spending.

"We have deliberately made the decision to place no cap on the Commonwealth's contribution to the recovery and reconstruction effort," he said.

Although it would take time and effort, he added, "we will rebuild each of these communities... until one day we can look back and say these towns have been reborn".

He appealed for charitable donations and said about A$15mn (GBP 6.8mn) had been collected so far. Mr Rudd earlier announced an aid package of A$10mn.

The Australian Red Cross has appealed for blood, money and clothes, as some people escaping from the fires fled their homes with only the clothes they were wearing.

Crime scenes?

The 100-strong Task Force Phoenix will work with the Victoria state coroners' office, as well as fire and health authorities, to investigate all fire-related deaths.

Detectives have already sealed off a number of sites, including the devastated small town of Maryville, as possible crime scenes.

In Australia, deliberately lighting a fire which results in death carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, while intentionally or recklessly causing a bushfire carries a 15-year maximum sentence.

Victoria's Police Commissioner Christine Nixon said rescuers were searching charred areas road by road and house by house.

"This the really worst part of the process for all of us. It is about a house-to-house and vehicle-to-vehicle, in some cases, to find those who've died," she said.

"As we go into areas now that we haven't been able to get into before, we believe we'll find many more."

Walls of flame

Forensic investigators from around the country, including experts who helped to identify those killed in the Bali bombings in October 2002, have flown in to help the operation.

Forensic teams have the difficult task of identifying remains found in burnt-out houses and cars, says the BBC in Melbourne.

In the nearby town of Kinglake, vast areas have been reduced to ash, our correspondent says - a once-vibrant community scorched by fast-moving walls of flame.

A record heatwave and changing wind directions on Saturday helped fan the flames.

Many people are searching for loved ones among the survivors taking refuge in Victoria's relief centres.