Australia Worst floods in 50 years in Queensland, Australia
In the worst floods for 50 years, a huge area in the Australian state of Queensland is under water in the outback. According to the regional government, the affected region is now twice the size of the Australian state of Victoria - that's around 450,000 square kilometers and roughly the size of Sweden.
01.04.2025, 17:32
SDA
According to Queensland's Agriculture Minister Tony Perrett, at least 100,000 farm animals died or were swept away in the floods. This is an enormous loss for farmers and the agricultural industry: "The numbers are expected to rise even further. In many cases, this is their livelihood that has been washed away right under their noses," said the minister.
This was preceded by extremely heavy rainfall. Many rivers burst their banks. The floods were worse than a devastating flood in 1974, local media reported. The town of Thargomindah, around 1,100 kilometers west of Brisbane, was particularly badly affected.
Numerous houses and the streets are completely under water. More than 200 residents had taken refuge at the local airport during the night, reported the news agency AAP. Many of those affected had slept in their cars or campervans.
"The scale of the devastation is unbelievable," AAP quoted Queensland Premier David Crisafulli as saying. Meteorologists also predicted further rainfall, meaning the water levels could still rise.
