Food warning in Australian town as residents continue to evacuate amid swift rise of water

ANKARA (AA) – Local authorities in the northwestern town of Queensland, Australia, have asked residents to evacuate immediately following the swift rise of floodwaters.

The Burke Shire Council issued a statement on Saturday urging Burketown residents to evacuate immediately as floodwaters are unpredictable and rising rapidly.

"At the moment the water movements are unpredictable and are rising at a rapid rate. The safety of our community members is paramount and we strongly encourage residents to evacuate as there will be no planned evacuation flights tomorrow," the council said in the statement posted on its official Facebook page.

The authorities also issued a warning, stating that because the sewer system has been compromised, they have decided to turn off the power system.

"An Emergency Alert has been issued for residents in Burketown due to ongoing flooding. All remaining residents are being urged to leave," Queensland police wrote on Twitter.

Police have posted a video of helicopters being used to evacuate people from the town, which is currently under water due to flooding.

According to local media, 150 residents of the town have been evacuated, with the rest being transported on Saturday.

The Australia Bureau of Meteorology has already issued a major flood warning after the Albert River at the Burketown airstrip swelled higher than seven meters on Friday afternoon, exceeding the 2011 record flood level of 6.78m, according to ABC News.

"I checked on my parents' cattle property the other day and you can see cattle up to their necks in the water, literally swimming for their lives," Shannon Moren, a local resident, told the broadcaster.

"You can see some of the bodies floating on the water, she added.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid