Australia's New South Wales bushfire claims reach $132m

More than 1,000 insurance claims have been made by people who lost their homes and properties in the New South Wales (NSW) bushfires, with the bill estimated at 138 million AU dollars (132.58 million U.S. dollars), the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) said on Friday. ICA Chief Executive Officer Rob Whelan said claims are expected to rise as damage assessment continues. "While claims lodgments have stabilized over the past couple of days, we expect these to begin climbing again as returning residents assess any property damage," Whelan said in a statement. He said some policyholders had already received payouts from their insurers and insurance assessors are expected to start inspecting damage in areas previously not accessible. With fires still burning in the Blue Mountains, the ICA urged anyone who knows they have been affected to contact their insurer as soon as they can to lodge a claim, even if they are not yet sure of the full extent of their losses.