Sydney (dpa) – Australia's far-north was awash Tuesday with torrential rains brought by Cyclone Grant that derailed a freight train, carried away a bridge, swept a couple from their car roof and stranded residents and tourists. The freight train came off the rails near Katherine, 317 kilometers south of Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. Willem Westra Van Holthe, the local member of parliament, told the national broadcaster ABC in Katherine that sheets of bitumen had been lifted off the Stuart Highway, which runs 3,000 kilometers between Darwin and Adelaide. “The train bridge appears to have collapsed, and there are carriages in the water,” he said. “It's what I'd describe as a scene of devastation here.” Police Commander David Proctor said motorists were stranded all along the Stuart Highway. He warned people to stay out of the floodwaters for fear crocodiles were on the prowl. Cyclone Grant was downgraded to a tropical storm when it crossed the coast 200 kilometers north-east of Darwin Monday. The Bureau of Meteorology said the eye of the storm was 250 kilometers south-east of Darwin. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/4azDv Tags: Australia, Cyclone Grant, Flooding Section: Environment, Latest News, Oceana
