As residents of Victoria desperately attempt to prevent rising floodwaters from infiltrating their homes, looters have shifted their focus to snatching sandbags.
There have been other allegations of looting in affected regions, with the Today Show meteorologist for Channel Nine reporting a group of guys ransacking a family house in Melbourne’s northern suburbs live on television.
But looters also appear to have targeted free items, with one Echuca homeowner reporting that hundreds of sandbags were stolen from outside a home in the flood-devastated town on the NSW-Victoria border on Monday night.
My cousin relocated her Echuca home to her daughter’s residence over the weekend. Her son and his friends sandbagged the residence. Abby tweeted last night that 300 sandbags had been stolen by an unknown individual.
What the actual hell!
It’s a dilapidated old place and probably a waste of time, but come on!’
Looters have begun snatching sandbags as residents of Victoria desperately struggle to defend against rising floodwaters (pictured: locals delivering bags in Shepparton)
Sheena Lewis, a resident of Echuca, told ABC that the town had rallied together after hearing the news of the looting.
Ms. Lewis stated, “I feel so powerless being so far away and having no control over the situation there.”
I experienced the 1993 flood and was astounded by the community’s response, but these individuals are going above and above.
On Tuesday, dozens of volunteers returned to Ms. Lewis’ residence to assist with sandbagging in preparation for the Murray River’s predicted peak on Wednesday.
The theft of sandbags was the most recent instance of someone taking advantage of flood victims.
Tim Davies, a meteorologist for Today, captured a group of guys robbing a property on Monday morning while reporting from Maribyrnong in Melbourne’s north after the river overflowed its banks.
A resident of Echuca disclosed that hundreds of bags were removed overnight from a property in the devastated provincial city (pictured: locals delivering bags in Shepparton)
A camera crew from Nine was recording outside a house when a suspicious group of men emerged from an evacuated residence and fled in a four-wheel-drive.
Davies dialed 911, and Victoria Police officers arrived shortly thereafter.
Victoria Police verified that the males had broken into the residence and stolen iPads, bicycles, and other goods.
He told hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon, “These men are clearly up to no good; I couldn’t get out of here quick enough.”
It’s a sickening sight to see people behaving in such a manner on the streets of Melbourne so early in the morning when these residents are already enduring so much.
The home is owned by Darren and his wife, who was celebrating her birthday on the day they were forced to escape. Additionally, they have two children.
They had been living upstairs to avoid the flooding on the ground floor, but they were forced to evacuate their home the night before due to rising water levels.
Nine individuals said that the man had rummaged through the entire second floor, stealing a variety of electrical devices, children’s toys, and other items.
The camera crew likely caused the guys to drop a bag holding irreplaceable family artifacts, including photographs, according to the police.
Stefanovic called the thieves “total scumbags.”
“People are at their lowest point, and some view this as an opportunity to exploit them. I hope they capture and imprison them,’ he remarked.
The Today weathercaster dialed 911, prompting Victoria Police officers to arrive. They discovered that the men had trashed the residence and stolen iPads, bicycles, and other items.
This week, Victoria will be hammered with additional rain after hundreds of locals were forced to evacuate their homes due to severe flooding.
Premier Dan Andrews encouraged residents of Victoria to be prepared.
He told reporters on Tuesday, “There will be additional rain before the end of the week, particularly in northern Victoria.”
This will result in a recurrence of water levels rising and flooding, possibly not reaching the heights observed over the weekend, but still posing substantial difficulties.
Several towns in northern Victoria continue to construct sandbag barricades as the Murray River is expected to reach its height on Wednesday.
There are evacuation orders in effect for residents of Echuca and other riverside communities.
The emergency services are concerned that the river levels could surpass the 94.77 meters recorded in Echuca during the floods of 1993.
After the Campaspe River overflowed its banks on Sunday, more than a thousand properties in Echuca were already flooded.