- New study reinforces theory Covid emerged at Chinese market
- World Bank boosts climate financing by 10 percent
- Bagnaia eyeing summit on home ground in 100th MotoGP
- 'Something was wrong', defendant in French mass rape tells court
- Hezbollah chief admits 'unprecedented' blow in device blasts
- Sales of US existing homes slip slightly in August
- Fear, panic haunt Lebanese after devices explode
- Labuschagne sparks Australia fightback in England ODI opener
- S.Africa's HIV research power couple says fight goes on
- Why is Israel focusing on border with Lebanon?
- Mpox vaccines administered in Rwanda, first in Africa
- US Fed rate cut is 'very positive sign' for economy: Yellen
- Unknown Mozart string trio discovered in Germany
- 'Are we five-year-olds?' F1 drivers won't mind their language
- Brazil judge orders X to reimpose block or face hefty fine
- Munich to rename stadium street after Beckenbauer
- Champions Italy to face Argentina in Davis Cup Final 8
- The winding, fitful path to weight loss drug Ozempic
- Italians defeat American Magic to reach Louis Vuitton Cup final
- Norris has 'nothing to lose' as he hunts Verstappen in Singapore
- Kyiv 'outraged' at Swiss showing of Russian war film
- French city renames Abbe Pierre square after abuse claims
- Footballer charged after huge cannabis seizure at UK airport
- Vatican recognises Medjugorje shrine, but not Virgin's messages
- Israel bombs Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon after wave of deadly blasts
- Bank of England freezes rate after jumbo US cut
- Playing Nadal is 'kind of a nightmare', says Alcaraz
- Portugal tackles last of deadly northern forest fires
- Ton-up Ashwin lifts India to 339-6 against Bangladesh
- Departing NATO chief warns US against 'isolationism'
- Coming winter 'sternest test yet' for Ukraine energy grid
- Evacuations as tail of Storm Boris floods northeast Italy
- Lebanon's Hezbollah reeling after second wave of deadly blasts
- Taiwan recognises same-sex marriages between Chinese, Taiwanese
- Stock markets rally after jumbo US rate cut
- Gabon's ousted leader Bongo says renouncing politics for good
- Lebanon device blasts: what we know about deadly attacks
- Equity markets rally after jumbo US rate cut
- Late Harrods owner Al-Fayed accused of rape: BBC
- Hong Kong man sentenced 14 months for wearing 'seditious' T-shirt
- Lebanon's Hezbollah in disarray after second wave of deadly blasts
- Equity markets, yen rally after jumbo US rate cut
- Meta and Spotify blast EU decisions on AI
- Hasan takes three as Bangladesh rattle India in first Test
- Two killed during police operation in New Caledonia
- Flood-hit region leaders to meet in Poland to discuss EU aid
- Sri Lanka to vote in first poll since economic collapse
- Hong Kong probe finds Cathay Airbus defect could cause 'extensive' damage
- AI development cannot be left to market whim, UN experts warn
- All Blacks primed for 'hell' of a Wallabies clash
RBGPF | 5.79% | 60.5 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.14% | 25.02 | $ | |
BP | 1.58% | 32.951 | $ | |
BCC | 4.01% | 142.78 | $ | |
SCS | -6.81% | 13.21 | $ | |
GSK | -1.06% | 41.985 | $ | |
BTI | -0.68% | 37.625 | $ | |
NGG | -1.63% | 68.925 | $ | |
CMSD | 0.1% | 25.005 | $ | |
RELX | 1.54% | 48.11 | $ | |
RIO | 3.56% | 65.23 | $ | |
RYCEF | 5.48% | 6.93 | $ | |
JRI | -0.3% | 13.4 | $ | |
AZN | 0.87% | 79.27 | $ | |
VOD | -1.64% | 10.065 | $ | |
BCE | -0.54% | 35.42 | $ |
Deadly rains, floods hit eastern Australia
Torrential downpours lashed eastern Australia on Saturday, raising deadly floodwaters to decades-long highs, swamping homes and sweeping away cars.
Police in the eastern state of Queensland said they had found the body of a 37-year-old man, raising the flooding death toll to five people since early this week. At least one person is still missing.
Images of southeast Queensland broadcast on Australian media showed homes and roads flooded, areas of land transformed into lakes and a large chunk of a concrete pier floating down the fast-running Brisbane River.
The water snatched the car of a team of four emergency services workers who were heading to rescue a family from their flooded home overnight, said state police disaster coordinator Steve Gollschewski.
"The vehicle in which they were travelling was swept off the road into floodwaters. Three of our members were rescued. One of those members is deceased," Gollschewski told a news conference.
Elsewhere, another man's body was found overnight.
"In some parts of southeast Queensland, this is the biggest event that they will see in a number of decades," said state police and emergency services minister Mark Ryan.
"And the rain has not stopped -- in fact, there are some parts where it is intensifying."
The Queensland town of Gympie was facing a "hell of a lot of water" as the Mary River rose, Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig was quoted as saying by national broadcaster ABC.
In the town's Royal Hotel, "without a submarine or a snorkel, you will not be having a beer," Hartwig said.
"It's floor-to-ceiling and over the roof in some areas."
- 'Dangerous' -
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Mary River could rise above 21 metres (69 feet) at Gympie. It may exceed levels last seen there in February 1999, the bureau of meteorology said.
As a precaution, Queensland would be issuing evacuation alerts, notably targeting about 700 residents in the Gympie area, the premier said.
"If we don't do this now people will become isolated and trapped," she warned.
The premier said her "heart goes out" to the volunteer emergency services worker, 62-year-old Merryl Dray, who died "trying to save her community".
Emergency services had responded to more than 1,800 calls for help in 24 hours in southeast Queensland, officials said.
Rainfall in some areas of the state had exceeded records going back decades, said senior Queensland meteorologist David Grant.
He predicted further rain on Sunday as the weather system moved away more slowly than had been anticipated.
"There is now going to be an increased risk of dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, and even the potential for localised landslides," he told a news conference.
Heavy rain also hit the state capital Brisbane.
"Essentially we've seen a month's worth of rainfall fall in one day for just Brisbane alone," Grant said.
Rescuers undertook 132 rescues in swift water conditions in 24 hours, said Greg Leach, Queensland's commissioner for fire and emergency services.
"Our catchments are completely saturated. Our rivers are rising. We have flash flooding. Now is not the time to be out in southeast Queensland if you don't have to be," Leach said.
F.Müller--BTB