Australia reels after Christmas storms leave at least 8 dead, 1 missing

Australia’s southeast coast has been battered by fierce thunderstorms over Christmas and Boxing Day, claiming the lives of at least eight people and leaving one person missing.

Queensland:

• The death toll in Queensland rose to six after a search near Green Island ended on Wednesday.
• A yacht carrying 11 men on a fishing trip capsized in the storm. Three men died, eight were injured, and one remains missing.
• Three women were swept away in floodwaters near Gympie. One survived, one was found dead, and one is missing.
• A nine-year-old girl was swept away in Rochdale South and later found deceased.
• A woman in her 50s was killed by a falling tree on the Gold Coast.

Victoria:

• Two people died in separate storm-related incidents.
• A woman was killed by flash flooding in Buchan.
• A man was killed by a falling tree branch in Caringal.

Easing but not over:

• Flood alerts remain in place for parts of Queensland and Victoria.
• Scattered storms are still possible on Wednesday, especially near the Victoria-New South Wales border and the Queensland coast.
• Relief is expected by Wednesday afternoon.