Australian "Biblical Floods" Turn Deadly as First Victim Swept Away from Car in Queensland

It seems that a flood of "biblical" proportions is ravishing Queensland, Australia, as we speak. Days of torrential rain has left northeastern Australia under a sea of muddy water, with the flooding affecting about 200,000 people and climbing. The rain stopped but the rivers are still rising and over-flowing into low-lying communities, according to the Huffington Post.

Australia's "bibilical" flood claimed its first victim when a woman was swept away in her car as authorities warned the waters had yet to peak in the one of the worst affected areas of Queensland. As further thunderstorms were forecast across the region, bringing the potential for flash flooding, residents of the city of Rockhampton braced themselves for the Fitzroy river to reach its peak in the next 48 hours. An area the size of France and Germany combined has been hit by the flooding of three river systems.

The woman who drowned was trying to cross a flooded causeway when her car was swept into a river in Burketown, western Queensland, on Saturday. The body of the 41-year-old was recovered yesterday about a mile away, Queensland police said. Two other people are feared drowned.

In Rockhampton many residents have already fled low-lying areas and up to 40% of the city is expected to be affected.

Read more:  Australian Woman Dies as Queensland Floodwaters Rise | U.K. Guardian

Chinese Bulk Coal Carrier Leaking Oil in Sea Around Great Barrier Reef

(Reuters) - A stranded Chinese bulk coal carrier leaking oil into the sea around Australia's Great Barrier Reef is in danger of breaking up and damaging the reef, government officials said on Sunday.

The 230-meter (754-ft) Shen Neng I was on its way to China when it ran aground on a shoal on Saturday. It had 950 tonnes of oil on board and officials said patches of oil had been spotted in the water early on Sunday, but no major leak.

The premier of Queensland state Anna Bligh said the ship was in a poor state, and posed a danger to the reef."The situation remains serious as the extent of the damage means there is a very real risk that the vessel may break apart," Bligh said in a statement. "Every effort is now being made to limit the impact of this incident on the Great Barrier Reef."

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