Twin cyclones pound north Australia

Trail of destruction: Boats washed ashore by Tropical Cyclone Marcia littering the ground in Yeppoon. — AFP

YEPPOON (Australia): Two powerful cyclones pounded Australia, leaving a trail of destruction with houses ripped apart, trees uprooted and electricity cut to thousands of people, but authorities expressed relief there were no fatalities.

Tropical Cyclone Marcia, a top-rating category five storm, slammed into the Queensland coast just after 10pm on Thursday with its landfall coming just hours after Cyclone Lam hit further north.