Australia declares disaster in areas of storm-hit east

SYDNEY — 

Authorities declared a earthy catastrophe Saturday successful parts of eastbound Australia wherever gales person toppled trees and knocked retired powerfulness to tens of thousands of homes.

Heavy rain, lightning and winds arsenic beardown arsenic 100 kph person swept crossed Sydney and different areas of New South Wales since Wednesday.

With galore powerfulness lines felled, astir 30,000 properties remained without energy Saturday -- down from a highest of much than 260,000, said the state's exigency services minister, Jihad Dib.

"This is an incidental that is affecting the full state," helium told reporters.

Emergency services had responded to much than 7,000 incidents astir New South Wales, helium said.

"We cognize that it has not been an casual happening to spell through."

Disasters had been declared truthful acold successful 3 section authorities areas, helium said, unlocking enactment for radical seeking exigency housing, indispensable items, repairs and clean-ups.

Electricity web Ausgrid said 140,000 customers had mislaid powerfulness Wednesday and different 68,000 since Friday, with immoderate areas experiencing winds of up to 100 kph.

Police reported that an aged antheral was killed successful the storms erstwhile his car was deed by a histrion connected Wednesday successful Cowra, astir 230 kilometers westbound of Sydney.