School bus trapped in floodwaters before children rescued

Students and a driver had to be rescued after a school bus was swept off a flooded causeway in the Northern Territory.

Shocking footage has emerged of a school bus carrying children becoming caught up in fast flowing floodwaters in the Northern Territory.

The dramatic incident took place near Batchelor, 100km south of Darwin, on Tuesday as the area continues to be devastated by heavy rain and flooding.

A Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics spokesperson said the chaos unfolded when a driver misjudged the water’s height, but no injuries have been reported.

“A school bus travelling to Batchelor Area School attempted to cross the Finnis river crossing at Cheeney Rd, however the water was higher than the driver anticipated,” the spokesperson said.

“Three students were on board. They were safely removed and collected by another school bus.

“The contractor has confirmed buses will take an alternative route.”

The spokesperson said the group was able to exit the bus with the help of a passing motorist.

The incident follows chaos in towns near the WA border as angry locals take to social media to vent over a lack of food supplies.

The bus became caught in floodwaters in the Northern Territory.

Pictures posted to Facebook and Twitter show supermarket shelves bare in the Western Australian border town of Kununurra, cut off from the rest of the nation due to flooding in the neighbouring Northern Territory, as well as flooding to the west, which is causing headaches on a major arterial road.

The Victoria Hwy to the east has been closed due to flooding, while the Great Northern Hwy to the southwest is open, but drivers are being urged to take extreme caution, with water over the road for large sections of the Kimberley motorway.

When you coming to the Kimberley next @MarkMcGowanMP?? Maybe bring yourself a packed lunch coz there's bugger all on our supermarket shelves....hasn't been for days, weeks! Sort it out please! pic.twitter.com/n88dcsOQuw

— Mandy (@Wonderwoman1967) February 26, 2023

It means local supermarkets Coles and IGA Tuckerbox have been battling with shortages and panic buying, leaving locals less than impressed.

Flooding across the border in the NT has also devastated towns and small communities, with hundreds of evacuations near Katherine taking place late last week.

The waters have also washed away a 200m section of railroad, north of Tennant Creek, effectively cutting off Darwin from Adelaide rail freight.

Supply by road back in WA also continues to be affected by damage to the Great Northern Hwy at Fitzroy Crossing due to record flooding in early January.

Originally published as School bus trapped in floodwaters before children rescued