Flash floods, wild winds and storms are continuing to lash Australia's east coast, causing hundreds of people to flee their ruined homes and killing at least 13 people in the state of Queensland and seven in New South Wales (NSW).
Police confirmed on Tuesday that the latest fatalities were two people, believed to be a mother and her adult son, whose car was swept into a stormwater canal in western Sydney.
As of Tuesday, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) had issued evacuation orders for regions stretching from the state's northern border with Queensland through to its southern border with Victoria, with displaced residents being urged to seek shelter in evacuation centers.
NSW SES commissioner Carlene York told local media on Tuesday they issued 11 evacuation orders affecting over 60,000 people.
The death toll from floods battering Australia’s east coast has risen to 20 as bodies of a man and a woman were discovered in floodwaters in Sydney on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteLocal media quoted police as saying that the pair were believed to be a missing mother and son whose car was abandoned in a stormwater canal.
Thousands of Sydney residents have been asked evacuate their homes, and the weather bureau has warned of “a tough 48 hours ahead.”
For days, intense rainfall in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales (NSW) has brought widespread destruction, leaving thousands displaced and sweeping away property and livestock.