Two bodies are found in a storm drain in flooded Townsville during search for two men last seen near a Dan Murphy’s store that was being looted
- Hughie Morton, 21, and Troy Mathieson, 23, were missing in floods
- They were last seen running away from the scene of a bottle shop burglary
- Reports on Tuesday afternoon said two bodies were found in a drain
- Townsville has been battered by severe flooding over past 11 days
Two bodies have been found in the search for two men missing in flood waters in Townsville.
Hughie Morton, 21, and Troy Mathieson, 23, were last seen running away from police after a Dan Murphy’s bottle shop was looted in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Reports on Tuesday afternoon said two bodies were found in a stormwater drain.
Hughie Morton (left), 21, and Troy Mathieson (right), 23, were last seen near floodwaters on Monday morning, sparking fears they’ve been washed away
Parts of Townsville copped another soaking on Monday night and more rain the way on Tuesday
Vehicles were stranded by floodwaters at the intersection of Stuart Drive and the Bruce Highway in Townsville on Monday
The city has received more than one metre of rain in a week for the first time on record.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a 95 per cent chance of rain every day until at least Thursday, while there’s a 90 per cent chance of rain on Friday.
Townsville can expect up to 200mm over the next week with the likely possibility of thunderstorms on Wednesday and Thursday.
‘We saw the worst of the rain over the weekend and Monday morning but we’re still expecting heavy falls in the region the coming days,’ Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jess Gardner told Daily Mail Australia on Monday night.
‘Townsville isn’t out of the woods yet in terms of further flooding. More rain is expected overnight with Townsville expected to receive 50-80mm on Tuesday.’
Townsville residents woke on Monday morning to scenes of total chaos, with thousands of homes, car parks and shopping centres almost totally submerged and huge crocodiles roaming city streets.
Forecasters have warned of a ‘risk to life and property’ due to ‘unprecedented’ flooding which could overwhelm up to 20,000 homes as 17,000 properties are left without power.
The city which was turned into a floodplain on Sunday night when the Ross River Dam spillway gates automatically opened to ease pressure.
This sent 2,000 cubic metres of water per second rocketing through already flooded suburbs as desperate residents scrambled in boats and kayaks to reach evacuation centres on higher ground and 400 were rescued by the army with trucks and helicopters.
Rescuers went door-to-door to warn locals of the risks of staying as the ‘unprecedented’ once-in-a-century storm devastated some suburbs of the north Queensland area