Authorities told towns people in Australia’s south east to flee homes with three days of supplies today as a surging river threatened another community in the flooding crisis that has devastated the country’s mining industry.

A volunteer army waded through stinking mud and drenched homes today in a massive clean-up operation as floodwaters receded in Australia’s third-largest city.

Parts of Australia’s third-largest city reopened today as deadly floodwaters that had swamped entire neighbourhoods receded, revealing streets and thousands of homes covered in a thick layer of putrid sludge.

Floodwaters washing through Australia’s third-largest city crested today just shy of levels residents had feared most but high enough to submerge entire neighbourhoods and cause damage one official likened to the aftermath of war.

IT is almost unimaginable the fear 13-year-old Jordan Rice would have felt as the car he and his family were in was pummelled by a wall of water. But, as it began engulfing the vehicle, Jordan, who could not swim himself, insisted his younger brother, Blake, 10, be rescued first.

Floods poured into Brisbane’s empty centre today after leaving a deadly trail across the region in what could be its most devastating floods in a century.

Deadly floodwaters that have cut a swathe across northeast Australia flowed onto the streets of the nation’s third-largest city today, forcing people to flee both suburbs and skyscrapers.

THOUSANDS of people fled central Brisbane yesterday as the panicked city braced for its worst flooding in 120 years, after terrifying flash floods left 10 dead and 78 missing.

GREG KOWALD was driving through the centre of Toowoomba when a terrifying, tsunami-like wall of water roared through the streets of the northeast Australian city.

Rescuers raced today to reach people trapped on roofs after a flash flood hurled a tsunami-like wall of water through Australia’s waterlogged east, tossing cars like toys, killing at least eight people and leaving 72 missing.

Flash floods swept through a north-eastern Australian community today, killing one woman, trapping others in cars and leaving some clinging to trees as relentless rains brought more misery to a region battling its worst flooding in decades.

Media group APN News & Media, in which Independent News & Media has a 41.8% shareholding, today announced a record interim after-tax profit of AUS$72.1m (€43m) for the six months ended June 30 2006, up 9% on the same period last year.