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Roundup: 2 confirmed dead, 6 missing in flood caused by Debbie in E. Australia

Xinhua, April 3, 2017 Adjust font size:

At least two people were confirmed dead, and six others were missing after Cyclone Debbie caused massive flood in east Australia.

Three men remained missing in the state of Queensland and another three people, including a child, were feared dead after their car was swept away by flood waters near the Tweed River in northern New South Wales.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, along with New South Wales State Premier Gladys Berejiklian, on Monday surveyed the damage left in the wake of ex-tropical Cyclone Debbie.

Despite being around 1,500 km away from the eye of Cyclone Debbie, the township of Lismore on the northern coast of New South Wales has been inundated with rain and floods brought by the devastating storm system.

When the Wilsons River peaked at 11.6 meters on Friday, water began to breach its levee causing damage to over 3,000 homes and businesses in the community.

The flood also cut off roads in the area, making it impossible for supply trucks to bring aid to the town over the weekend.

"We have seen nature flinging her worst at Australians, but it always brings out the best in Australia's," Turnbull told reporters.

"This is a strong city, it has seen floods before and it has recovered."

"There is a full suite of supports for a region like this that is recovering."

The prime minister also praised emergency services who have responded to 2,600 calls and carried out 480 flood rescues.

Earlier Monday, a mother and two children were rescued from the roof of their house as it was swept away in flood water near the Albert River on the Gold Coast.

The dramatic scene saw the house underwater just minutes after the rescue operation.

The mayor of Lismore, Isaac Smith, told reporters, "it's a massive job. It will take a lot of coordination and, really, things we haven't done on this scale before."

According to Berejiklian, the total cost of the destruction was already well "into the millions," saying "in relation to the total cost... we do expect it to be in the billions."

North of the border, the city of Rockhampton in central Queensland State is now preparing for major flooding.

The Fitzroy River in the area is already at its peak of 9 meters with more rain expected Wednesday.

The city's airport has been closed and it is feared that around 3,000 homes could be lost. Endit