The Sultanate’s Consulate has urged Omani students on scholarships in Australia to report urgently with the academic section of the Consulate General via e-mail if they have any symptoms of asthma or other respiratory problems.
The Consulate General had earlier urged students to exercise caution and stay away from all areas affected by forest fires, as well as to stay away from areas at risk of fires while adhering to all instructions issued by the official authorities in the state.
Australian officials took advantage of better weather on Monday to reopen roads blocked by wildfires and move some people to safety although thick smoke stalled rescue efforts and hundreds of people remained stranded.
Fires have ravaged more than 8 million hectares (19.8 million acres) of land across the country, an area nearly the size of Austria, killing 25 people, destroying thousands of buildings and leaving some towns without electricity and mobile coverage.
Police on Monday confirmed the death of a 71-year-old man on the south coast of New South Wales (NSW) state who was reported missing on Dec. 31.
The second day of light rain and cool winds brought some relief from heat-fueled blazes that consumed parts of two states over the weekend, but officials warned the dangerous weather was expected to return this week.
Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said about 400 people were airlifted on Sunday out of Mallacoota, a small, coastal holiday town.
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