Asia-Pacific

Cyclone Ului hits Queensland coast

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-21 09:45
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CANBERRA - Cyclone Ului damaged homes and cut power to thousands of houses in Queensland's Whitsunday region on Sunday.

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It crossed the coast as a category three cyclone early this morning near Airlie Beach, north of Mackay, before steadily losing strength.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has responded to about 600 calls for help across the cyclone region. There are no reports of injuries.

About 60,000 homes were blacked out across the region at the height of the cyclone.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said initial reports suggest the damage is moderate to severe in the cyclone-affected area.

"This cyclone crossed the Queensland coast about six hours ago - - it is still causing a very serious weather event in and around the region, so we could be seeing more damage as we speak," she said.

"This is not over yet and making any estimate of the damage will take several days."
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