At least nine people have died in severe storms in eastern Australia. Flash flooding swept three women into a storm drain in the Queensland town of Gympie yesterday, authorities said. A 40-year-old woman died, one woman survived and the third woman is still missing. The search for the missing person continued today.
Not far from the city of Brisbane, three people drowned at sea when their boat capsized. Eight people were rescued from the water after the accident. The body of a nine-year-old girl who was swept away by floodwaters has been recovered in a Brisbane suburb. There have also been deaths in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria.
Image AP/AAP/Dave Hunt
Severe storms with strong winds have hit eastern Australia in recent days. In Queensland, tens of thousands of homes were left without power because electricity poles were knocked down. The Australian Weather Service continued to warn of “dangerous” storms, “life-threatening” flooding, “enormous” hail and “destructive” winds in Queensland.
Deaths in floods in Thailand
Floods also occurred in southern Thailand, killing at least six people. Among the six deaths in Narathiwat province were an 89-year-old man and a child, deputy provincial governor Preecha Nualnoi said today. One person is still missing.
According to regional authorities, more than 70,000 families in the provinces of Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat were affected by the floods that began on Friday. Days of heavy rain caused floods that reached three meters high in some places. Local media showed images of flooded streets and residents seeking refuge on rooftops.