ネズミの大群が刑務所インフラ破壊　受刑者は別の施設へ　豪

【シドニーＡＦＰ＝時事】オーストラリア東部の刑務所で２２日、ネズミの大群が押し寄せ生活インフラを破壊したことから、受刑者数百人が別の施設への移動を余儀なくされた。（写真は資料写真）
　ニューサウスウェールズ州のウェリントン矯正センターでは、大量のネズミが天井に穴を開けて電線をかみ切ったため、収容人数を縮小して修繕工事を行うことになった。
　今月中に最大で受刑者４２０人と職員２００人が別の施設に移る。
　東部では、豊作によりネズミが大量発生し、数か月にわたり農作物を食い荒らし、地元住民を悩ませてきた。
　災難が続く農家にとって、ネズミの大群が新たな悩みの種となっている。
　同国では、干ばつが数年続いた後、２０１９年末から２０年初めまで壊滅的な森林火災が発生。その後、複数の地域で洪水に見舞われた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/06/23-15:58）

A mouse plague ravaging Australia's farmlands forced the evacuation of hundreds of inmates from a rural jail on Tuesday, as the rodents broke in and chewed through essential infrastructure.
Scores of mice have gnawed through ceiling panels and wiring at a New South Wales prison, prompting authorities to scale back operations for repairs.
The health, safety and wellbeing of staff and inmates is our number one priority, so it's important for us to act now to carry out the vital remediation work, said Peter Severin od Corrective Services NSW.
Up to 420 inmates and 200 staff from the Wellington Correctional Centre will be moved to other facilities by the end of the month.
We want to do this overhaul once, and we want it done properly, which means we'll be looking at ways to mitigate the effects of similar plagues in the future, Custodial Corrections Assistant Commissioner Kevin Corcoran said.
Mice have been destroying farmers' produce and tormenting locals in eastern Australia for months after the feral pest boomed on the back of a bumper crop.
The plague is the latest in a string of disasters to strike farmers.
A years-long drought was followed by months of devastating bushfires in late 2019 to early 2020 before welcome rains brought damaging floods in several regions.