Three people died yesterday when floodwaters washed a car off a road
at Caboolture, north of Brisbane, during a storm that hit south-east
Queensland.
State Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the deaths last night, telling reporters that the victims were a man, a woman and a young child.
She said the car attempted to drive around a road closed sign and entered the flood waters.
"On behalf of all Queenslanders we express our deepest sympathies. This is a tragedy.
"In Caboolture from 9 o'clock this morning there has been more than 333 millimetres of rainfall... in the afternoon in a three-hour period there was 277 mm.
"Having just spoken to the Bureau of Meteorology, for them this is off the scale."
The police later said that the man was believed to be in his 70s, the woman in her 30s and the child, a boy, was aged 8.
Dozens of other people were rescued from the floodwaters
as the worst of the torrential downpours clashed with peak-hour traffic.
Cars were seen floating down flooded roads as rain, damaging winds and lightning hit.
Train services were suspended and traffic came to a standstill on several major roads as floodwaters cut off thoroughfares and the heavy rain led to accidents.
Motorists were urged not to cross flooded roads.
The Queensland Ambulance Service received a call that a 16-year-old girl was hit by lightning in Burpengary. It was believed the girl's injuries were minor.
State Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the deaths last night, telling reporters that the victims were a man, a woman and a young child.
She said the car attempted to drive around a road closed sign and entered the flood waters.
"On behalf of all Queenslanders we express our deepest sympathies. This is a tragedy.
"In Caboolture from 9 o'clock this morning there has been more than 333 millimetres of rainfall... in the afternoon in a three-hour period there was 277 mm.
"Having just spoken to the Bureau of Meteorology, for them this is off the scale."
The police later said that the man was believed to be in his 70s, the woman in her 30s and the child, a boy, was aged 8.
Cars were seen floating down flooded roads as rain, damaging winds and lightning hit.
Train services were suspended and traffic came to a standstill on several major roads as floodwaters cut off thoroughfares and the heavy rain led to accidents.
Motorists were urged not to cross flooded roads.
The Queensland Ambulance Service received a call that a 16-year-old girl was hit by lightning in Burpengary. It was believed the girl's injuries were minor.
