SYDNEY, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A second person has died in a major flooding crisis affecting the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW).
NSW Police said in a statement on Thursday afternoon that a body was recovered from floodwaters near the town of Rosewood, 300 km northeast of Sydney in the Mid North Coast region, about 8 a.m. local time.
The body has not been formally identified but is believed to be that of a man aged in his 30s who went missing after becoming stuck in floodwaters while driving on Wednesday night.
It is the second death in the widespread flooding crisis that has hit the Mid North Coast and surrounding regions after the body of a 63-year-old man was found at a flooded property in Moto, 40 km south of Rosewood, on Wednesday afternoon.
Emergency searches are ongoing for two people, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 60s, who have been missing since Wednesday night.
Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said at a press conference that authorities have "grave fears" for the missing individuals.
Thursday marked the fifth consecutive day of heavy rainfall in the region, driving record-breaking flooding. The small Mid North Coast town of Bellingen received 336 millimeters of rainfall in the 24 hours to 9 a.m. on Thursday, and many areas have received over half a meter of rain since Monday.
As of Thursday afternoon, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) had put 148 flood warnings in place, with 50,000 people told to prepare to evacuate.
Emergency services, including the Australian Defense Force, have been deployed to rescue people by air and boat.
NSW SES Commissioner Mike Wassing said strong wind and some rainfall could persist into next week and that communities cut off by the flooding could be isolated for longer than previously expected.
The Bureau of Meteorology said on Thursday morning that heavy rainfall is expected to ease in the Mid North Coast by midnight. ■
