Deadly floods hit eastern Australia, rains continue

SYDNEY, Feb 26, ( AFP) - Torrential downpours lashed eastern Australia on Saturday, raising deadly floodwaters to decades-long highs, swamping homes and sweeping away cars, including one carrying a team of rescuers.

Authorities in the eastern state of Queensland said two people were killed overnight, bringing the flooding death toll to four since early this week. Another two people are still missing.

Images broadcast on Australian media showed homes and roads swamped, areas of land transformed into lakes and a large chunk of a concrete pier floating down a fast-running river.

The waters snatched the car of a team of four emergency services workers who were heading to rescue a family from their flooded home, 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.

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.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Mary River could rise above 21 metres 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. “If we don't do this now people will become isolated and trapped,” she warned.