Wildfire death toll rises to 208

THE death toll in the worst wildfires in Australia’s history has risen to 208, after seven more bodies were found, police said yesterday.

The updated figure came just one day after police had said they did not expect the toll to go much higher, as they believed the bodies of those people listed as missing had been located.

The wildfires swept through the state of Victoria earlier this month, driven by hot winds and record temperatures that had left the countryside as dry as tinder, destroying about 1,800 houses.