‘Stupid’ Korean tourists rescued in outback

TWO Korean tourists have been called “stupid” by police after they ignored flood warnings and became stranded on a dirt road in the Northern Territory.The tourists were travelling from Queensland to Darwin when they detoured off a main highway onto a muddy dirt road in an attempt to avoid floodwaters.Police said they acted “irresponsibly” by ignoring road closure signs and barriers on the Barkly Highway. “There is no easy alternative to this level of flooding, and to assume that a dirt road would be any more passable than a bitumen road is just plain stupid,” Superintendent Bruce Porter said in a statement. “The actions of these two were irresponsible and they placed themselves and rescuers at risk.

“These signs are put there for a reason, and for the public’s safety.“The main road artery leading into the Northern Territory has been closed since Saturday, when 100 metres of the road collapsed during heavy rain.Police rescued the pair on Thursday morning after their car became bogged about 50km from Avon Downs.

Supt Porter said the pair had been issued with a $90 traffic infringement notice for ignoring traffic control signs.Two men from Mt Isa were also fined after police found them on the Barkly Highway near the Rankin Road turnoff.The pair alerted police to the stranded Koreans.

They told the officers they had travelled from Mt Isa to see the flooding for themselves as they did not believe the media reports.The Barkly Highway is expected to remain closed for at least three weeks.