Two people died and dozens were injured today as a cyclone pounded the environs of Port Hedland, a mining town on Australia's north-western coast. Wind gusts of up to 275 kilometres an hour and pelting rain lashed the remote iron-ore town, national broadcaster ABC reported. According to dpa, police reported two deaths and other people with injuries at the Wodgina mining camp, 100 kilometres south of Port Hedland. Port Hedland ambulance officer Michele Murdoch said emergency workers weren't sure if there would be more casualties. "Nobody's been able to get to the camp site," she said. In the town itself, there were reports of damage to property but no injuries. "We've definitely got houses de-roofed in various parts of the town," dpa quoted emergency services manager Derek Jones as saying. "At this stage, we ask residents to stay inside until its all clear." Mining operations and offshore oil platforms have been idle since the cyclone approached. Ships at Port Hedland and elsewhere on the north-western coast moved out to sea to weather the storm. Cyclones are an annual event in Australia's north-western corner.
