Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: A crocodile bit a teenager while being evacuated from floods in Australia’s Northern Territory. A resident told ABC radio that the 17-year-old boy was bitten “on his leg’s back” while leaving a remote community. According to the BBC, he was treated at a nearby clinic. The Australian Defence Force has been called in to assist remote areas affected by floods caused by heavy rains.
Defence Australia
According to NT government minister Chansey Paech, 700 people, including 35 with medical needs, were flown out of Kalkarindji, about 770km south of Darwin, after the Victoria River burst its banks.
He tweeted that Defence Australia has given them three large planes – one C27 and two C130s- and they are working to fly evacuees to Katherine.
According to a Paech spokeswoman, major floods increased the risk of crocodiles and the displacement of people. She told the BBC they’re all over the place when the river’s banks burst. Evacuees will be housed at a former Covid quarantine facility in Howard Springs, officials said, and children will be able to attend local schools.
As the upper Victoria River reached high flood levels, the territory declared an emergency in four remote areas this week. Roads to several remote communities remained closed, according to Emergency Controller Daniel Bacon, who urged people to stay away. At Kalkarindji, the Victoria River had reached a height of 14m but was now falling, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
