Nine dead, 72 missing as flash floods sweep through Australian city
Nine people have died and 72 are missing after an inland tsunami swept across Australia’s second largest inland city, leaving thousands homeless.
Cars were tossed around like corks and people clung to trees and signposts when the tsunami hit Toowoomba, a cathedral city of 90,000 that lies 79 miles west of Queensland capital Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coast yesterday.
An overturned car is seen almost fully submerged in central Toowoomba
Police warned people in smaller outlying towns to be ready to abandon homes as forecasters predicted more heavy rain.
Residents fill sandbags outside a residential apartment building in the
Brisbane suburb of West End as they prepare for major floods from the
Brisbane River.
Among the dead were a mother and her young child. There were fears that the death toll will rise during the course of today as emergency services struggled to cope.
Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said that four children had died and there were 'grave concerns' for at least 11 of the missing. Many of those still stranded or unaccounted for are families and young children, she said.
Emergency services officers plucked more than 40 people from houses isolated by the torrent that hit the Lockyer Valley with little warning yesterday, but as of this morning thunderstorms and more driving rain were keeping helicopters from reaching an unknown number of other people still in danger.
'This has been a night of extraordinary events,' Miss Bligh said.
'We’ve seen acts of extreme bravery and courage from our emergency workers. We know they’re out on the front line desperately trying to begin their search and rescue efforts, and we know we have people stranded and people lost.'
Video taken at the scene also showed a man clutching a tree as the gushing water sweeps down a street, pushing vehicles off the road, into each other and flinging one van into trees.
'This is unbelievable damage,' said Mayor Peter Taylor, staring at the overturned and partially-submerged vehicles all around him.
'There's furniture and furnishings flowing away and there are shops that have been blown away.
'We have a railway line about 60 or 70 meters suspended in mid air and two cars that are virtually unrecognisable that have floated and smashed into the rail.'
The raging torrent that swept through the city was caused by heavy rain which hit the south east region of Queensland during the afternoon.
Confusion over just how many people lost their lives in the drama continued into this morning, with Inspector Douglas McDonald describing how three people were trapped in a car 'but we could not save them all'.
This appeared to be separate to the incident involving the mother and her child.
Referring to the people in the car, Inspector McDonald said: 'Only one of those persons was able to be rescued before the vehicle and the other persons were swept away.'
Police said there had been some 30 rescues of people in the water and emergency services were searching waterways for several other people feared to be missing.
Two helicopters have joined the rescue effort as people stood on the roofs of cars and buildings calling for help.
A female pedestrian is said to be among those who have died after she was swept away while about to cross a road.
'It was like there was nothing there and suddenly this huge torrent of water swept down and swallowed people up,' said a shopkeeper.
There was an unconfirmed report that three children were missing in the nearby district of Gatton, where flash flood has caused widespread damage.
'There has been loss of life,' said Mayor Taylor.
'I don't know how many at this point but I do know that at least one person's life has been lost and there's massive damage.
'The whole city is in shock.' Deputy police commissioner Ian Stewart said the deluge had been sudden and unexpected, resulting in multiple emergency calls from people begging to be rescued from homes and cars.
'It is an evolving and obviously quite desperate situation for them,' he said.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the sudden deluge had been massive.
'The city of Toowoomba is effectively split down the centre by the water.' Local councillor Joe Ramia said he had never seen anything like yesterday's downpour after living all his life in the city.
'All the water ran down onto roads, into homes - it was just incredible. It was just horrendous.'
More than 5,000 people were ordered last night: 'Abandon your homes! Move for your safety!'
Police issued the warning after flash flooding had already washed several homes away in the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane - and the flood waters continued to rise.
All residents in low-lying areas of the valley were told by police to hurry to safer regions as flood levels rose.
'The flooding is very severe - a big concern' said regional Mayor Steve Jones.
'This could be as big as the devastating 1974 floods.' He said there was no time to door-knock residents because the floods hit too quickly.
Cars were tossed around like corks and people clung to trees and signposts when the tsunami hit Toowoomba, a cathedral city of 90,000 that lies 79 miles west of Queensland capital Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coast yesterday.
Hundreds of homes in Forest Hill, Queensland, have been engulfed by water
The Brisbane River overflows as it fails to contain the flood water. The
Wivenhoe dam, built after the 1974 floods to protect Brisbane, is full,
and dam managers have no choice but to continue with increased,
controlled releases into the river
People wade up to their waists in water at a street corner in Toowoomba.
The flash flooding overturned cars and flung a van against several
trees as relentless rains brought more misery
Flash floodwaters cover a street in Toowoomba, Queensland yesterday.
Residents in Australia's third largest city, Brisbane, sandbagged their
homes against rising waters
Drama: This ffamily, who had climbed onto the roof of their 4x4, was later rescued
Lucky escape: This man was rescued by emergency workers after he was stranded clinging to a tree
Among the dead were a mother and her young child. There were fears that the death toll will rise during the course of today as emergency services struggled to cope.
Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said that four children had died and there were 'grave concerns' for at least 11 of the missing. Many of those still stranded or unaccounted for are families and young children, she said.
Emergency services officers plucked more than 40 people from houses isolated by the torrent that hit the Lockyer Valley with little warning yesterday, but as of this morning thunderstorms and more driving rain were keeping helicopters from reaching an unknown number of other people still in danger.
'This has been a night of extraordinary events,' Miss Bligh said.
'We’ve seen acts of extreme bravery and courage from our emergency workers. We know they’re out on the front line desperately trying to begin their search and rescue efforts, and we know we have people stranded and people lost.'
Video taken at the scene also showed a man clutching a tree as the gushing water sweeps down a street, pushing vehicles off the road, into each other and flinging one van into trees.
'This is unbelievable damage,' said Mayor Peter Taylor, staring at the overturned and partially-submerged vehicles all around him.
'There's furniture and furnishings flowing away and there are shops that have been blown away.
'We have a railway line about 60 or 70 meters suspended in mid air and two cars that are virtually unrecognisable that have floated and smashed into the rail.'
The raging torrent that swept through the city was caused by heavy rain which hit the south east region of Queensland during the afternoon.
Confusion over just how many people lost their lives in the drama continued into this morning, with Inspector Douglas McDonald describing how three people were trapped in a car 'but we could not save them all'.
This appeared to be separate to the incident involving the mother and her child.
Referring to the people in the car, Inspector McDonald said: 'Only one of those persons was able to be rescued before the vehicle and the other persons were swept away.'
Police said there had been some 30 rescues of people in the water and emergency services were searching waterways for several other people feared to be missing.
Two helicopters have joined the rescue effort as people stood on the roofs of cars and buildings calling for help.
A female pedestrian is said to be among those who have died after she was swept away while about to cross a road.
'It was like there was nothing there and suddenly this huge torrent of water swept down and swallowed people up,' said a shopkeeper.
There was an unconfirmed report that three children were missing in the nearby district of Gatton, where flash flood has caused widespread damage.
'There has been loss of life,' said Mayor Taylor.
'I don't know how many at this point but I do know that at least one person's life has been lost and there's massive damage.
'The whole city is in shock.' Deputy police commissioner Ian Stewart said the deluge had been sudden and unexpected, resulting in multiple emergency calls from people begging to be rescued from homes and cars.
'It is an evolving and obviously quite desperate situation for them,' he said.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the sudden deluge had been massive.
'The city of Toowoomba is effectively split down the centre by the water.' Local councillor Joe Ramia said he had never seen anything like yesterday's downpour after living all his life in the city.
'All the water ran down onto roads, into homes - it was just incredible. It was just horrendous.'
More than 5,000 people were ordered last night: 'Abandon your homes! Move for your safety!'
Police issued the warning after flash flooding had already washed several homes away in the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane - and the flood waters continued to rise.
All residents in low-lying areas of the valley were told by police to hurry to safer regions as flood levels rose.
'The flooding is very severe - a big concern' said regional Mayor Steve Jones.
'This could be as big as the devastating 1974 floods.' He said there was no time to door-knock residents because the floods hit too quickly.
source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/
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