Man dead after tree falls on car at Mount Buller

A fatal accident occurred at the Victorian snow resort town of Mount Buller on Monday morning. Emergency services, including Victoria Police and Advanced Life Support paramedics, responded to a single-vehicle incident around 9:15am. A tree had fallen onto a car, and while the female driver was taken to Wangaratta Hospital in a serious condition with an upper body injury, a male passenger tragically died at the scene.

The investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing, and a report will be prepared for the coroner. Mount Buller Road is presently closed in both directions, leading to significant delays. Alpine Resorts Victoria is collaborating with authorities to assist emergency services, and it is anticipated that the closure of Mount Buller Road will persist for an extended period.

Overnight resort visitors have been advised to contact their accommodation providers, and the Mount Buller Sports Hall has been opened for resort visitors to seek shelter from the conditions. State Emergency Service (SES) crews from the state's north-east have received 80 requests for assistance overnight. One resident was found completely submerged in water, while SES Hume regional duty officer Michael Isbister warned that with record-breaking rainfall, the ground is extremely wet, causing rivers to flow and rise rapidly.

A driver and passenger were rescued after their vehicle became lodged in floodwater at Lexton, located in Victoria's west. Flooding has prompted the closure of several roads in the Pyrenees Shire, including at Avoca, Lexton, and Beaufort. Over 135 millimetres of rain have fallen in parts of Ballarat and its surroundings since midnight overnight.