Three killed, including a child, after car swept away by floods

Three killed, including a child, after car swept away by floods

Brisbane : THREE people have died after their car was washed away by flash flooding in Queensland tonight.The trio, a man, a young woman and a child, were travelling along Dances Road in Calboolture when tragedy struck.QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the car attempted to drive around a road closed sign and entered flood waters.“On behalf of all Queensland we express our deepest sympathies. This is a tragedy,” Ms Palaszczuk said.“Tonight we are all deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life.”She said the storm cell had been an extreme weather event, with Caboolture hardest hit.Caboolture had received 333mm of rain since 9am, and 277mm fell within a three-hour period.“Having spoken to the Bureau of Meteorology, for them this is off the scale,” Ms Palaszczuk said.The rainfall is now expected to track down the Gold Coast, particularly impacting the Hinterland, before easing around midnight.“There will still be dangerous surf conditions throughout tomorrow,” Ms Palaszczuk said.“The beaches at this stage will be closed and we want people to take extra care.”The tragic news comes as thousands have been left without power in the state’s south-east.Earlier a teenage girl was struck by lightning at Burpengary just after 4pm while the SES were called out to 19 swift-water rescues in Brisbane alone.The Australia v New Zealand: Anzac Test was also postponed due to the deluge.It is understood the NRL was concerned about lightning around Suncorp Stadium but also the fact heavy rain would make the surface extremely soft and unsuitable for play.Traffic jams and suspended rail services caused travel chaos for NRL fans who were eager to get to the game.

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