BRISBANE, Australia – Severe weather in the Australian eastern states of Queensland and Victoria has resulted in the deaths of at least nine people, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The incidents include a tragic boating accident in Moreton Bay off the south Queensland coast, where a boat carrying 11 people capsized in rough weather, resulting in the deaths of three men. Additionally, a 59-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Gold Coast, and the body of a 9-year-old girl was found in a flooded stormwater drain in Brisbane.

Further tragedies unfolded in the town of Gympie, where the bodies of a 40-year-old woman and a 46-year-old woman were found in the Mary River after being swept in by floodwaters. In Victoria, a woman’s body was discovered after flash flooding receded at a camp ground in Buchan, and a 44-year-old man was killed by a falling branch at his rural property in Caringal.

The Queensland Police Commissioner, Katarina Carroll, attributed the incidents to “extraordinarily difficult weather” and described the past 24 hours as “very tragic.” The severe weather, which has been ongoing since Monday, has seen thunderstorms and strong winds bring down over 1,000 power lines in parts of Queensland, leaving 85,000 people without electricity.

This tragic event serves as a reminder of the devastating impact that severe weather can have on communities. The loss of life and the destruction caused by the recent weather serves as a somber reminder of the importance of community resilience and preparedness in the face of natural disasters.