BRISBANE – Up to 20,000 homes are now at risk in Brisbane, the Queensland state premier has said, as deadly floodwater surge towards Australia’s third-largest city, BBC online informed yesterday.
Central Brisbane is a ghost town, with electricity cut and thousands urged to either evacuate or stay at home. West of Brisbane, the city of Ipswich is being swamped by flood waters in a situation described as “total chaos”. The death toll from the flash floods in Queensland is 12 so far, with many others reported missing.
Australian broadcaster ABC reports that the Brisbane River is now forecast to peak at 5.2m (17ft) in the early hours of Thursday, down from a prediction of 5.5m.
About 50 people are still missing in the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane. As the rain clears, search and rescue teams are ready to deploy in what Queensland Premier Anna Bligh described as a “very gruesome” task.
“I think we will all be shocked by what they will find,” Ms Bligh said.
Power to central Brisbane has been cut in a move intended to prevent generators becoming a fire risk if flooded. Shops put up signs that they would not open.
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