Two bodies have been discovered in the search for backpackers missing in Queensland flood waters, marking the first flood-related fatalities in the region.

Police on Thursday said they believed the bodies were of two international tourists who had been travelling to Queensland’s flood-ravaged North Burnett region from Brisbane but failed to arrive at their destination.

The disappearance of the 26-year-old man and 23-year-old woman sparked a search of the area from Kilkivan to Mundubbera, west of Gympie, where flood waters had recently inundated communities.

Police, State Emergency Service volunteers and helicopters scoured the region from Wednesday morning, later locating a silver vehicle at Kilkivan Tansey Road.

Seven network reported its news crew had found the car while surveying the flood zone.

Police later confirmed two bodies were found in the vehicle. Divers and forensic teams are investigating the scene.

“However, police believe the two deceased to be the missing 26-year-old man and 23-year-old woman,” police said.

They mark the first fatalities in the flood-hit region, where more communities are expected to be inundated in the coming days.

The Chinchilla community north-west of Brisbane is next in line after Bundaberg was flooded on Wednesday, inundating hundreds of houses and businesses.

Chinchilla’s flooded Charleys Creek was not expected to reach a 6.8m peak until about midday on Thursday, the local mayor, Andrew Smith, said.

Residents were clinging to hope that Charleys Creek, which runs through the town, would not reach the devastating flood levels of 2011.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned that major flooding was approaching Longreach, where possibly prolonged floods were expected from Thursday evening into Friday morning.

Senior meteorologist Jonathan How said while no more heavy rain was forecast for the region, slow-moving river waters would continue to impact communities downstream from Bundaberg and Chinchilla in coming days.

Light showers were forecast in the state’s south-east on Friday, creating “a nuisance for the clean-up but they won’t create flooding”, he said.

As of late morning on Thursday, eight major flood warnings were in place in Queensland, including for the residents of Longreach, Windorah, Surat and Warkon.

In the Northern Territory’s Top End and into the Kimberley in Western Australia, major flood warnings were still in place on Thursday morning, including for the Daly River.

“Everything is quite saturated and any further rain could cause flooding again – that’s a watch point over next few days,” How said.

Heavy rain was forecast in the Kimberley over the weekend and expected to push into central Australia on Monday and Tuesday next week, he said.