Australia mourned victims of its worst-ever bushfires, which killed at least 209 people and are still burning in four areas north and east of Melbourne, Bloomberg reported.
Thousands, including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Victorian Premier John Brumby and Britain's Princess Ann, gathered at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne today for the 11 a.m. service, which began with ringing church bells and included addresses by political, and religious and community leaders. The memorial service ended to the words of a specially written version of the Bruce Woodley song 'I Am Australian.'
"On Black Saturday what we saw at work was the worst of nature, yet the best of humanity," Rudd said. "Let us resolve today, learning from the mistakes of the past, to rebuild together." Flags will fly at half-mast every Feb. 7 and the nation will observe a moment of silence to honor the victims, Rudd pledged.
Authorities had warned that as many as 300 people may have been killed in the fires that swept through Victoria state earlier this month, razing more than 1,800 houses and leaving 7,000 homeless. The toll stands at 209 people, and four uncontained "going fires" continue to burn north and east of Melbourne, police said.
Brumby and Malcolm Turnbull, leader of Australia's opposition Liberal-National Party coalition, echoed Rudd's call to make a "solemn contract with each of these communities to rebuild brick-by-brick, home-by-home, school-by-school."