Evacuation Attempts Resume For Residents Stuck In Wujal Wujal

A second attempt is underway to evacuate residents in the small Far North Queensland town of Wujal Wujal.

On Monday, initial attempts were suspended to free the residents trapped by flood waters due to heavy rainfall.

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There are about 250 to 300 residents to be evacuated on Tuesday.

Of particular concern are nine adults and one child who were trapped on the roof of a hospital; the rescue attempts too suspended due to a severe weather warning.

The community has been without power since Ex-Cyclone Jasper came through the region last week, and former Wujal Wujal mayor Desmond Tayley said the people were now “very desperate”.

“That poses a lot of other threats in regards to providing essential services like water, sewage, just people getting to and from the stores,” he told ABC TV.

“We only have a small store in the community. And you know, they’ve run out of supplies already, so it’s starting to be a major concern.”

Deputy commissioner of Queensland police Shane Chelepy said the conditions has eased enough overnight to resume evacuation efforts and was “very pleased with the preparations that have occurred.

“This morning, our focus is still on the evacuation of Wujal Wujal,” he told the ABC.

“We’ve dispatched small aerial resources that way this morning in preparation for a larger evacuation later in the day with the assistance of ADF.”

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