CATTLE CRISIS FLOODS CAUSE ‘HORRIFYING’ SITUATION

THE scale of the floods west of Townsville has been compared to a major volcanic eruption, with more than 300,000 cattle dead.

Gulf Country cattleman Russell Lethbridge said some of the cattle death numbers he was hearing were “horrifying”.

“What makes this even worse is the fact that people have been fighting to keep their cattle alive for at least seven years of drought,” he said. “People have done what they can during the drought and they are still doing what they can in the flood to keep cattle alive, but with so much water and mud the situation in many cases is hopeless.”

People have been evacuated from rooftops as floodwaters from the Flinders and Leichhardt rivers sweep towards the gulf.

Pictures: JOHN ANDERSEN TRAGIC: A beast stranded on an island of ballast at the Nelia train wreck will be lucky to survive. INSET: Dead cattle in a row along the rail line.