2 Filos perish in Australia wildfires (The Philippine Times)

Philippine Honorary Consul General to Victoria Raul Hernandez confirmed that at least two Filipino-Australians perished in the wildfires that had sprung up in numerous Australian states.

 

Filipino-Australians sister and brother Melanee Hermocilla, 23, and Jaeson Hermocilla, 21, were house-sitting a Yarra Glen house when they died. Melanee’s boyfriend Greg Lloyd (22 yrs) also died in the same fire.

 

Greg’s parents were on holidays and the three young people were house-sitting the house of Greg’s parents when the bushfire spread very quickly.

 

Melanee is a graduating Law student of Monash University. Melanee and Jaeson are the niece and nephew of Sonny Catillo, former SBS Broadcaster in Melbourne.

 

The two are among the more than 170 people whose lives had been taken by the raging inferno which engulfed entire towns in a natural calamity that is believed to be one of the worst-ever in Australia’s recorded history.

 

The wildfires started due to the soaring summer temperatures which had caused combustion in parched areas of Victoria. The fires rapidly spread from one location to various others due to a brisk wind that carried embers and flames.

 

The information regarding the Filipino victims had already been relayed to the Philippines through the Department of Foreign Affairs and was announced to the Filipino media through DFA spokesman Bayani Mangibin. – ?

Updated: 2009-03-20 — 21:43:14