A dead, thousands evacuated: massive floods in northeastern Australia

Von WOM

In Australia, dangerous floods broke out after intensive rains that have flooded houses and shops. One person has lost their lives, and thousands of further evacuation instructions in the northeast of the country.

flooding in North Queensland

Since Friday, large parts of the North Queensland coast have been affected by the floods, in particular the city of Ingham and the nearby city of Townsville. Local residents in low -located coastal suburbs are called to evacuate immediately.

tragic loss and evacuation orders

Queensland's Prime Minister David Crisafulli confirmed on Sunday the death of a woman who drowned in Ingham during the floods. According to CNN-PARTNER Nine News capped the lifeboat in which it was after it hit a tree. The woman was one of six people on board while the other five could be saved.

community and federal aid

"This is a very closely connected community, our thoughts and prayers are with the family," said Crisafulli. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the event as "heartbreaking news" in a contribution to X. "My thoughts are with the family and the entire community in this difficult time." Albanese promised that the federal government would provide all the necessary resources to deal with the situation.

warnings of further dangers

In the Townsville Bluewater district, an emergency warning was issued on Sunday. The local civil protection authorities asked the residents: "their lives could be in danger". The water rises quickly and there were dangerous and life -threatening floods. Townsville’s local disaster management group warned: "If you don't evacuate, it could be too dangerous to save you."

dangers from crocodiles

The Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation has warned the residents of being careful because crocodiles could occur in the flood areas. "During floods, crocodiles can appear in places where they were not seen before while looking for quieter waters," said the department in a message. "Expect crocodiles in all waters in the north and in the far north of Queensland, even if there are no warning signs."

past of the floods in Townsville

Townsville, a city with around 200,000 inhabitants, was hit by devastating floods in 2019, which at that time was called "event that occurred in 100 years". Crisafulli said that the rainfall could cause similar conditions last weekend. "Take precautions, prepare for the worst and listen to the advice. This is a serious event," he emphasized.

predictions for the coming days

The floods occur after several days with torrential rainfall and strong winds, which were caused by two tropical civil engineering systems, according to the Australian office for meteorology. Several areas were affected by 24-hour rainfalls of up to 600 mm (about 23 inches), with a few areas listening to 250 mm in just six hours.

It is expected that the heavy rains and winds will last until Monday, which could possibly lead to further dangerous floods. Ingham could be faced with the worst floods for 60 years. "The Herbert River reached 15.2 meters. It is currently 14.89 meters and is increasing. It is expected to reach similar values ​​as in 1967," said Crisafulli.