FLOODWATERS TURN KILLER HIGHWAY INTO DEATH TRAP: Desperate Motorists Rescued as Barrier Highway Remains Closed for Over a Week
- Floodwaters rise to 800mm, submerging vehicles and trapping motorists on the Barrier Highway
- Three people rescued from floodwaters outside Wilcannia, with one vehicle left abandoned and submerged
- Central Darling Shire Council warns highway will be closed for over a week, disrupting national freight route
- SES performs two rescues in 24 hours, with total flood rescues across central and far west NSW now at five
The Barrier Highway, a critical national freight route, has been transformed into a deadly trap, with floodwaters rising to 800mm and trapping motorists in their vehicles. In the past 24 hours, the State Emergency Services (SES) have performed two dramatic rescues, plucking three people from the jaws of death outside Wilcannia. But the crisis is far from over, with the Central Darling Shire Council warning that the highway will remain closed for over a week, disrupting the flow of goods and services across the country.
The SES’s incident controller, Sharon Fox, described the scene as “critical”, with floodwaters continuing to rise and the road markers showing 800mm of water. The situation is so dire that the SES is unsure how long the highway will be flooded, with Ms Fox estimating that it could take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours for the waters to recede.
The first rescue took place on Thursday afternoon, when three people were pulled from a vehicle that was later submerged in floodwaters and abandoned. Just hours later, the SES performed another rescue, saving a motorist from the same location on the Barrier Highway, around 20 kilometres outside Wilcannia. The road has been closed in all directions since yesterday afternoon, with motorists and truck drivers advised to take alternate routes.
The Central Darling Shire Council is working tirelessly to divert the water, but the task is monumental. The council’s workers and machinery are battling against the clock to restore the highway, but the sheer scale of the disaster means that it will be a long and arduous process.
Analysis: What This Means for Australia
The closure of the Barrier Highway has significant implications for national security, with the flow of goods and services across the country severely disrupted. The Australian freight industry is already under immense pressure, and this latest disaster will only exacerbate the problem. Law enforcement agencies will also be stretched to the limit, as they work to maintain order and prevent looting in isolated communities.
Security analysts say that the closure of the highway will have a ripple effect on the entire economy, with businesses and consumers alike feeling the pinch. The longer the highway remains closed, the greater the impact will be on the national economy. Industry observers believe that the government will need to take swift action to mitigate the effects of the disaster, including providing emergency funding to affected businesses and communities.
In the meantime, the people of Wilcannia and surrounding communities are bracing themselves for the worst. Emergency supplies are being distributed to those in need, but the sense of unease is palpable. As the floodwaters continue to rise, one thing is clear: the Barrier Highway has become a death trap, and it will take a Herculean effort to restore it to its former glory.