SYDNEY: Record floods stranded more than 50,000 people in eastern Australia on Thursday, killing three as a muddy tide swept through towns and swollen rivers cut off roads. Police have pulled three bodies from rising floodwaters on the Mid North Coast, a river-braided region of rugged hills and fertile valleys about 400 kilometres north of Sydney.
Authorities launched a major search-and-rescue mission as people clambered atop cars, houses and highway bridges to escape fast-moving flash floods. The storms have dumped more than half a year’s worth of rain over just three days, the government weather bureau said, smashing flood-height records in some areas. The government has declared the emergency a natural disaster, unlocking greater resources for affected areas. Police said they were still searching for one person reported missing. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
