Search for scores missing in Queensland floods

Debra Nowland

Last Updated: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:59:00 +1100

In Australia Search and recovery efforts are getting under way with eight people dead and 72 missing after wild flash floods in Queensland's Lockyer Valley.

The Australian Defence Force is joining the search for scores of residents missing in the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane.

The area was devastated yesterday afternoon when flash floods - that have been likened to a tsunami - swept through the region.

Seven people were killed - including two children.

At least 40 people had to be rescued from rooftops and cars.

Premier Anna Bligh says it's a grim and desperate situation.

"We've certainly had some unconfirmed reports of further missing people in the Grantham area," she said.

Further west, at Chinchilla the river is expected to reach seven metres and an evacuation centre has been set up.

More rain is forecast for Queensland's south-east and inland.

Income assistance

Meanwhile the Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean says the government's income assistance for people who've lost their livelihood due to the floods will be critical to recovery.

The government will pay anyone who has lost their source of income the equivalent of unemployment benefits.

The payments will be available to people in five states, where there have been a string of natural disasters since November.

Mr Crean says if the workforce in the affected areas isn't maintained it will be difficult to rebuild an economic base.

"What we have to do is to understand the difficulty they are going through through no fault of their own, and help them get through that period so it is absolutely essential to keep that skill base keep it intact as best we can," he said.

Language News