An Indonesian soldier and volunteers use a rubber boat to evacuate people to higher ground during a flood in Indonesia. (AP)
JAKARTA: More than 75 people have died and dozens are still missing after flash floods and landslides hit Indonesia and neighbouring East Timor, officials said on Monday. Floods sparked by torrential rain have wreaked havoc and destruction on islands stretching from Flores in Indonesia to East Timor, sending thousands fleeing into shelters. The deluge and subsequent landslides caused dams to overflow, submerging thousands of houses and leaving rescue workers struggling to reach trapped survivors. There are 55 dead, but this number is very dynamic and will definitely change, while some 42 people are still missing, Indonesia disaster management agency spokesman Raditya Jati told broadcaster MetroTV.
Indonesia flash floods kill 44, toll expected to rise - Authorities
Sunday April 04 2021
People crowd along a dock as rescue efforts prepare to head out to search for 17 fishermen who went missing after two boats collided the night before in waters off Indramayu, West Java province on April 4, 2021. PHOTO/AFP
Summary
Indonesia s disaster agency has estimated that 125 million Indonesians nearly half of the country s population live in areas at risk of landslides.
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At least 44 people were killed after flash floods and landslides swept an island in Indonesia s easternmost province Sunday morning, rescue officials said, adding they expected the toll to rise.
More than 50 people were killed after flash floods and landslides swept through eastern Indonesia and neighbouring Timor Leste on Sunday, authorities said, warning the toll could rise further.