‘Serious concerns’ for missing family

Police hold “serious welfare concerns” for seven people, including four children and three elderly people, who are missing in Western Australia’s flooded outback.

The people were travelling in two vehicles that police believe left Kalgoorlie Boulder on Sunday between 10am and 2pm.

Both vehicles are believed to be travelling in convoy to Tjuntjuntjarra, about 650km northeast of Kalgoorlie.

The first vehicle is a beige Toyota LandCruiser, with the registration number A683, which is believed to be driven by an elderly person.

The second vehicle is a white Mitsubishi Triton, with the registration number KBC8881, which is believed to be driven by another elderly person.

Their five passengers include another elderly person and four children aged between seven and 17 years.

“Concerns are held for the occupants of these two vehicles due to serious weather conditions,” police said in a statement.

“It is unknown how much food and water the occupants have in their possession.”

In the past 48 hours, hundreds of millimetres of rain has drenched the area, cutting the only sealed road link to South Australia — the Eyre Hwy.

WA Police Inspector Mick Kelly said weather conditions had hampered search efforts.

“Concerns are held due to the fact that we have had severe weather and rain and more has been forecast over the next 24 hours and we have been unable to make contact with the occupants,” he said.

“Our air asset was up this morning and it flew for an hour. Quite simply, the plane can’t see through the clouds and therefore, we were unable to locate them.

“It becomes too dangerous for the pilot.”

Meanwhile, the Trans-Australian Railway line, which has been closed since Sunday when parts of the line became submerged in water, is expected to remain closed for days.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Kalgoorlie Police Station on (08) 9021 9777 or Crime Stoppers.