Police believe bodies found in Queensland floods are those of missing backpackers | Queensland
Two bodies have been discovered in the search for backpackers missing in Queensland flood waters, marking the first flood-related fatalities in the region.
Police on Thursday said they believed the bodies were of two international tourists who had been travelling to Queensland’s flood-ravaged North Burnett region from Brisbane but failed to arrive at their destination.
The disappearance of the 26-year-old man and 23-year-old woman sparked a search of the area from Kilkivan to Mundubbera, west of Gympie, where flood waters had recently inundated communities.
Police, SES volunteers and helicopters scoured the region from Wednesday morning, later locating a silver vehicle at Kilkivan Tansey Road.
Seven network reported its news crew had found the car while surveying the flood zone.
Police later confirmed two bodies were found in the vehicle. Divers and forensic teams are investigating the scene.
“However, police believe the two deceased to be the missing 26-year-old man and 23-year-old woman,” police said.
They mark the first fatalities in the flood-hit region, where more communities are expected to be inundated in the coming days.
The Chinchilla community north-west of Brisbane is next in line after Bundaberg was flooded on Wednesday, inundating hundreds of houses and businesses.
Chinchilla’s flooded Charleys Creek was not expected to reach a 6.8m peak until about midday on Thursday, the local mayor, Andrew Smith, said.
Residents were clinging to hope that Charleys Creek, which runs through the town, would not reach the devastating flood levels of 2011.
As of late morning on Thursday, eight major flood warnings were in place in Queensland, including for the residents of Longreach, Windorah, Surat and Warkon.
