Firefighters are warning residents on Tuesday to flee or take shelter as they have been struggling to control bushfires in Victoria, eastern Australia. 

According to Jason Heffernan, chief officer of the state's Country Fire Authority, there were about 650 firefighters combating flames that covered 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres).

He also said that around East Gippsland, which is located around 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Melbourne, wind gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour (50 miles per hour) have been reported.

Nine rural neighborhoods received evacuation orders from emergency services after it was determined that the fires "threatened homes and lives."

"It is proving to be quite difficult, burning in both private property but also in some pine plantations. So the next couple of hours will remain very challenging for firefighters on the ground," said Heffernan. 

Heffernan told Australian public broadcaster ABC that late in the afternoon, rain was predicted to assist douse the flames.

At least 34 people, including two babies were killed when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria on Saturday.

According to Beninese Interior Minister Alassane Seidou, “a serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji. Another 20 people were seriously wounded in the incident.”

"I can't really give you the cause of the fire, but there is a large gasoline warehouse here and cars, tricycles and motorcycles come from morning to evening,” he added.

Nigeria is a main oil and gas producer where fuel smuggling is very common along its borders, particularly when the government maintains a subsidy to keep fuel prices low.

The majority of the victims were burnt and they could not be not be identified.

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