Sydney, March 15 – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that military troops would be deployed to assist communities affected by days of flooding in the Northern Territory (NT).
The government has approved assistance from Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to communities around Katherine, 270 km southeast of the territory's capital Darwin, in the aftermath of the devastating floods, Albanese said on the social media platform X.
"To everyone who is struggling right now, know that we are with you in the response and in the recovery," he added.
The Northern Territory government has requested assistance from the ADF, according to Xinhua news agency.
Since early March, the territory has been experiencing severe flooding. According to reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Katherine has experienced its worst flooding in nearly three decades, with several surrounding remote communities evacuated. The floods also inundated homes in Darwin River and devastated rural properties, while the rising waters of the Daly River set a new record.
No fatalities have been officially reported in the flooding in the Northern Territory so far, while two international tourists were killed in separate flood incidents in Queensland.
The 26-year-old man and 23-year-old woman were travelling about 250 km from Brisbane to the state's North Burnett region when they failed to reach their destination amid heavy rainfall and widespread flooding.
An emergency search involving police, helicopters, and the State Emergency Service commenced on Wednesday morning, and the vehicle the pair were travelling in was located in floodwaters near the small town of Kilkivan, 175 km northwest of Brisbane, on Wednesday afternoon local time.
The Queensland Police Service confirmed on Thursday that two bodies were found inside the car.