Two bodies are found in a storm drain in flooded Townsville during search for two men last seen near a Dan Murphy's store that was being looted

  • Hughie Morton, 21, and Troy Mathieson, 23, were missing in floods 
  • They were last seen running away from the scene of a bottle shop burglary
  • Reports on Tuesday afternoon said two bodies were found in a drain 
  • Townsville has been battered by severe flooding over past 11 days

Two bodies have been found in the search for two men who went missing in flood waters in Townsville.

Hughie Morton, 21, and Troy Mathieson, 23, were last seen running away from police after a Dan Murphy's bottle shop was looted in the early hours of Monday morning. 

On Tuesday afternoon two bodies were found in a stormwater drain. 

Hughie Morton
Troy Mathieson

Hughie Morton (left), 21, and Troy Mathieson (right), 23, were last seen near floodwaters on Monday morning, sparking fears they've been washed away

Parts of  Townsville copped another soaking on Monday night and more rain the way on Tuesday

Parts of  Townsville copped another soaking on Monday night and more rain the way on Tuesday

Vehicles were stranded by floodwaters at the intersection of Stuart Drive and the Bruce Highway in Townsville on Monday

Vehicles were stranded by floodwaters at the intersection of Stuart Drive and the Bruce Highway in Townsville on Monday

Mr Mathieson and Mr Morton both live on Palm Island, an offshore area with heavily restricted alcohol laws.

Police contacted their families with concerns for their safety after the men went missing.

Officers responding to a call that a bottle shop was being robbed at 3am on Monday were the last to see the men, it is understood. 

As of 3pm on Tuesday, it was not confirmed if the bodies found were those of the missing men. 

Townsville has been hammered by more than one metre of rain in a week for the first time on record.

Townsville residents woke on Monday morning to scenes of total chaos, with thousands of homes, car parks and shopping centres almost totally submerged and huge crocodiles roaming city streets.

Forecasters have warned of a 'risk to life and property' due to 'unprecedented' flooding which could overwhelm up to 20,000 homes as 17,000 properties are left without power.

The city was turned into a floodplain on Sunday night when the Ross River Dam spillway gates automatically opened to ease pressure.

Rescuers went door-to-door to warn locals of the risks of staying as the 'unprecedented' once-in-a-century storm devastated some suburbs of the north Queensland area

Rescuers went door-to-door to warn locals of the risks of staying as the 'unprecedented' once-in-a-century storm devastated some suburbs of the north Queensland area

This sent 2,000 cubic metres of water per second rocketing through already flooded suburbs as desperate residents scrambled in boats and kayaks to reach evacuation centres on higher ground and 400 were rescued by the army with trucks and helicopters. 

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a 95 per cent chance of rain every day until at least Thursday, while there's a 90 per cent chance of rain on Friday.

Townsville can expect up to 200mm over the next week with the likely possibility of thunderstorms on Wednesday and Thursday.

'We saw the worst of the rain over the weekend and Monday morning but we're still expecting heavy falls in the region the coming days,' Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jess Gardner told Daily Mail Australia on Monday night.

'Townsville isn't out of the woods yet in terms of further flooding. More rain is expected overnight with Townsville expected to receive 50-80mm on Tuesday.'

The underwater city: Forecasters have warned of a 'risk to life and property' due to 'unprecedented' flooding which could overwhelm up to 20,000 homes as 17,000 properties are left without power. Pictured: A man wades through flooded streets with a bike

The underwater city: Forecasters have warned of a 'risk to life and property' due to 'unprecedented' flooding which could overwhelm up to 20,000 homes as 17,000 properties are left without power. Pictured: A man wades through flooded streets with a bike

 

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Two bodies have been found in the search for two men missing in flood waters in north Queensland 

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