Three people have been shot dead and one injured after a shooting at a remote property.
Police are believed to still be hunting for a suspected gunman following the incident in the rural locality of Bogie in Queensland, Australia, which unfolded at around 9am local time (12am UK time) on Thursday (August 4).
A series of gunshots are said to have rung out at the property, leaving a total of four people injured. Three were later confirmed to have died by police.
Officers have since issued an emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA), and have asked members of the public to avoid the area.
Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) revealed a man had been taken from a location near the scene to Mackay Base Hospital by helicopter, and is reported to be in a critical state after receiving a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
Eight ambulance crews have also been dispatched to the area from coastal towns in the region.
Officers revealed the male had been found at some distance from the house, and said on Twitter: “One male has been located some distance from the property and is currently being treated for a gunshot wound.
"Police are currently conducting emergency operations in the area and requesting members of the public and aircraft to not attend the location."
The remoteness of the location has caused some difficulty in authorities attending the scene and maintaining communications, according to The Guardian Australia.
Local resident Elly Colls told local media she found out about the shooting after someone phoned in to her workplace at to Opal Ridge Motel to warn her about it.
According to the 2016 census, Bogie has a population of only 161 people.
It is located inland between the coastal cities of Townsville, which is famous for a beach strip named The Strand, and Mackay, which is known as the sugar capital of Australia.
