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Outback town feeling forgotten in floods

A plane drops off food supplies at Coober Pedy (AAP)

A plane drops off food supplies at Coober Pedy. Source: AAP

The Royal Flying Doctors Service has made a much-anticipated food drop to a remote South Australian outback town stranded by floodwaters. Oodnadatta, 200 kilometres north of Coober Pedy, has been cut off for over two weeks now, leaving residents without critical food and fuel supplies.


It’s one of Australia's hottest and driest towns.

But a once-in-a-decade summer downpour has transformed Oodnadatta's arid landscape, cutting it off from the rest of the country.

Oodnadatta's well known Pink Roadhouse has become the town's only source of supplies.

But food has nearly run out and locals like Carmen Amos are feeling nervous.

Pink Roadhouse owner Jen Mathews says providing for a town of 130 people isn't easy when the only access is via plane.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service has touched down after scheduling a special detour to Oodnadatta to deliver critical supplies.

Relieved residents arrived to help unload the 250 kilograms of fresh food, and essential goods.

It’s unclear how long the community will remain isolated.

There’s still hundreds of millimetres of water on the only road out of town.

 

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