Battered but unbowed, cyclone-hit Aussies begin the clean-up

AUSTRALIA mobilised 4,000 troops and sent a supply ship with tons of food to the cyclone-stricken north-east coast of Queensland yesterday.

Cyclone Yasi flattened dozens of homes and ripped roofs and walls from dozens more. It cut power supplies in two cities and laid waste to hundreds of millions of dollars worth of banana and sugar cane crops.

"I hope we don't get forgotten," said Lisa Smith, whose Cardwell house lost part of its roof.

One death was reported yesterday - but officials were amazed the death toll was not higher. The storm whipped the coast with 170mph winds and sent waves crashing far inshore, as tens of thousands of people huddled in evacuation centres.

Efforts to restore power and clean up were hampered by heavy rain across the disaster zone, prompting the forecasters to warn of flash flooding.

Police said the man who died was a 23-year-old, asphyxiated by fumes from a generator he was using in a closed room.