Sydney, Dec. 8 -- A firefighter has died after being crushed by a tree while fighting a bushfire in the eastern Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) on Sunday night.

Authorities said on Monday that emergency services were called to reports that a man had been struck by a tree on a property near the town of Bulahdelah, 190 km northeast of Sydney, around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday.

He was treated by ambulance paramedics, but died at the scene.

Chris Minns, the premier of NSW, confirmed that the man was a firefighter from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

"It's a deeply distressing turn of events and a sad day for NSW," Minns said.

The NSW NPWS said that the man was working on a major bushfire near Bulahdelah in the state's M...