THIEVES PUT LIVES AT RISK

CUT CABLE CAUSES CHAOS I

FAR Northern detectives are hunting would-be thieves who cut Telstra lines at a Mossman shopping centre, causing a communications blackout there and in Port Douglas as residents braced for flooding.

The offenders then broke into the Town and Country complex on Front St via the roof but police are yet to determine if anything was stolen.

Cairns District Duty Officer Sen-Sgt Dion Readman said the fibre cables may have been cut to disable the centre’s alarm system.

Mossman and Cairns detectives are investigating the incident and have appealed for any witnesses who noticed unusual behaviour at Town and Country between 9pm Tuesday and yesterday morning to come forward. Telstra technicians worked into the night to repair the fibre cable, with internet and mobile services fully restored about 7.30pm.

The outage came as a flood warning was issued for the Mossman and Daintree rivers, sparking safety fears.

“It’s a great concern because people rely heavily on contacting each other (during weather events),” said Douglas Mayor Julia Leu. Mossman State Emergency Services established a makeshift communications system to deal with the outage.

“But a lot of people weren’t able to access SES assistance apps or even contact the SES because there was no mobile or internet service,” said local controller Stephen Burg.

One motorist ignored warnings by trying to cross a swollen Emmagen Creek, north of Cape Tribulation, yesterday.

“The four-wheel drive lost its grip and slid maybe five metres,” said D’Arcy of Daintree 4WD Tours owner, Mike D’Arcy, who snapped a photo of the submerged vehicle.

“It got stuck near a tree and some guys managed to put a rope on it to hold it there,” he said.