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Australia: Bushfire death toll rises to 208

The death toll from the Victorian bushfires has risen by seven to 208.

Forty-five deaths have been reported in Marysville, 42 in Strathewen and 37 in Kinglake.

Yesterday police said they did not expect the death toll to go much higher than 201.

Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said police were close to establishing the exact number of deaths.

"We are in a position to be relatively comfortable that all those who were unaccounted for have now been accounted for and their remains have been located," he said.

He said the scale of the disaster means police have to work carefully.

"We are dealing with thousands and thousands of records so we've got to make sure that we get it right," he said.

Meanwhile mental health authorities say the trauma caused by the fires is likely to place extra pressure on Victoria's mental health system.

Extra Lifeline counsellors, including some who were part of the 2003 Canberra bushfires recovery program, have been working with Victorian staff in bushfire-affected areas.

Lifeline's Dawn O'Neil says the mental health system should be ready for an increase in calls for assistance.

"Grief is not an illness. It can't be cured or hurried along and no two people experience it in the same way," she said.

"Some people will adjust to the changes very well. Others may not. So it's difficult to know how people are going to cope and what the ongoing impact that might be on the mental health system."

Fires

The CFA says resident of Narbethong could be affected by a blaze which has been spotted over containment lines near Mount Riddell.

It is burning south of Narbethong in the Mt Dom Dom area.

A spokesman also says residents in Buxton, Marysville and Taggerty are likely to see an increase in smoke and falling ash from a fire in Kilmore East-Murrindindi.

It is burning 10 kilometres north-east of Healesville.

Neither fire is posing a threat to communities.

A fire continues to burn at Wilsons Promontory, which was started by lightning almost a fortnight ago.

Two water bombing aircraft and 150 firefighters are working to contain the blaze which has burnt 13,000 hectares.

Firebombing aircraft have also been placed on standby at Coleraine in the state's west, ahead of possible lightning strikes in the Wimmera, Mallee and Grampians national parks tonight.

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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