Swollen river splits Australian town in two

Knee-deep water inundated communities in south-eastern Australia and split one town in two today as swollen rivers carried flood fears downstream and officials urged residents to evacuate.

Over the weekend the state of Victoria became the latest area of Australia afflicted by a weeks-long crisis which has left 30 people dead, caused once-a-century floods in many areas and could end up being the country’s costliest natural disaster.