By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) - An 82-year-old woman was confirmed dead in a flood disaster in Australia’s North Queensland region after her body was discovered in a cane paddock on Tuesday, Australian media reported.
Her death is the second fatality in the North Queensland floods, as the first was another woman, who died on Sunday when her rescue boat collided with a tree and capsized, according to ABC News.
Following floods in North Queensland, thousands of people have been evacuated, and more than 10,000 properties are still without power.
Rainfall levels in North Queensland have set new records since Friday, with the towns of Paluma, Cardwell Gap, Ingham, and Townsville receiving 1,936 mm, 1,808 mm, 1,362 mm, and nearly 900 mm of rain, respectively, said the media outlet.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli feared the flood peak to hit the most vulnerable areas of the northern capital, Townsville. However, it did not materialize.
"There is no doubt that city has dodged a bullet," Premier David said in an interview with the ABC.
David described the devastation in Ingham as "incredible," saying that generators would be airlifted in to secure additional fuel supplies and support the water treatment plant.
“This flood was a big one,” David said regarding the magnitude of the disaster. "I've seen images of water in businesses that never in my wildest dreams."
“It is a very difficult time, and they (residents affected by floods) are very resilient people,” he said.
Personnel from the Australian Defence Force and State Emergency Services have arrived in the area to aid in the situation as the attention is directed to support and recovery.
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology warned the residents that thunderstorms could potentially bring the risk of severe, albeit localized, rainfall to the region.
An emergency alert has been declared for the town of Charters Towers, cautioning the residents that the weir and source of drinking water has been blocked.
Residents were told to consume water only for emergency purposes.
The water treatment plant in the flood-hit town of Ingham has been out of operation for several days after its power station was submerged.
Meanwhile, Burdekin Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort said that the town of Giru, south of Townsville, had enough drinking water for just 48 hours.