'Hundreds' of koalas feared dead in Australia bushfires

'Hundreds' of koalas were feared dead in a bushfire on the New South Wales (NSW) north coast on Thursday with the area a prime breeding ground for the Australian marsupial.

Firefighters were battling to control more than 50 wild fires that remained ablaze across NSW, the state's Rural Fire Service said. There were no reports of injuries caused by the fires, but strong winds have blown the dangerous smoke across large parts of NSW. Sydney was covered in hazardous smoke as strong winds fanned dozens of bushfires across Australia's east coast.