Australia's Suncorp receives up to $237 million in bushfire claims

(Reuters) - Australian insurer Suncorp Group Ltd (SUN.AX) on Thursday said it has received since September more than 2,600 bushfire-related claims amounting to as much as A$345 million ($236.98 million).

Australia has been battling large bushfires for months with more than 25.5 mln acres of land razed since September, killing 26 people and killing or injuring an estimated one billion animals, including livestock.

The company estimated that the cost of claims related to the bushfire will be at least A$315 million.

In an update on Monday, Suncorp said it had received more than 1,500 claims since November, bumping up the tally by 1,100 three days later.

In the first five days of January alone, the insurer incurred an estimated A$75 million to A$105 million in costs for claims.

It also added that total natural hazard costs for the six-month period ending Dec.31, 2019 were A$519 million, which is A$109 million above the group's natural hazard allowance for the first-half.