WA: Races to rescue community in SAM S path

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2000
WA: Races to rescue community in SAM S path

A convoy of buses is racing against time to rescue 800 members of a remote north-west
West Australian Aboriginal community in the path of a cyclone.

With a category 5 rating, Cyclone SAM is more powerful than the famous cyclone Tracy
that destroyed Darwin in 1974.

And helicopters capable of carrying up to 30 people are on stand-by to help in the
operation late today.

The effort is against the background of the category-five cyclone SAM bearing closer
to the Western Australian coast south of Broome, 2,240km north of Perth.

SAM is expected to cross the coast close to the Aboriginal community of Bidyadanga,
180km south of Broome, about 8pm (WST) tonight with ferocious winds of up to 280kph near
its centre.

Emergency services, who describe SAM as extremely dangerous, are predicting significant damage.

AAP RTV lk/sd/wz/jn

KEYWORD: SAM (PERTH)

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