Denpasar, Indonesia, Sep 11 (AP) – On Thursday, rescuers combed through rivers and the remnants of ravaged villages for survivors after catastrophic flash floods hit two Indonesian provinces the previous day, as water levels started to fall.
Torrential rainfall commencing Monday triggered flooding and landslides on Bali, a popular tourist destination, and in East Nusa Tenggara province, resulting in at least 15 fatalities with 10 individuals still missing.
The rains caused rivers to overflow, sweeping through nine cities and districts across Bali. Mudslides, rocks, and trees engulfed mountainside villages, and rising river levels submerged at least 112 neighborhoods, Bali's Disaster Mitigation Agency reported in a statement.
As river levels began to normalize on Thursday, residents of Denpasar, Bali's capital, emerged from overcrowded emergency shelters. They returned to find mud and debris covering streets, cars overturned in parks or piled in tight alleys, and sidewalks littered with sandals, cookware, and old photographs.
Authorities utilized the receding water to start clearing mud and removing heaps of soggy garbage from the roads, and electricity was reconnected for tens of thousands of homes and businesses.
Heavy seasonal rains, typically occurring from September to March, routinely lead to flooding and landslides in Indonesia.
Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, stated in a Wednesday night news conference that the flooding threat in Bali has subsided.
The floods in Bali claimed six lives, swept away approximately 474 kiosks and small shops in public markets, and submerged hundreds of homes and buildings, forcing over 800 residents into temporary government shelters, according to Suharyanto, who, like many Indonesians, uses a single name.
Since Wednesday, up to 600 rescue workers, police, and soldiers have been deployed to search for six missing persons in Bali, as the floods also damaged roads, bridges, and other infrastructure.
In East Nusa Tenggara, numerous rescue personnel scoured a river near the isolated village of Mauponggo, where floods left substantial amounts of mud, rocks, and trees.
Rescuers concentrated on locating four individuals, among them two toddlers, who were swept away alongside 35 homes, stated local police chief Dewa Putu Suariawan. Six additional villagers were rescued from floodwaters or mud on Wednesday.
Local Disaster Mitigation Agency head Agustinus Pone noted that severe weather and challenging terrain hampered rescue operations, which were further complicated by disrupted electricity, clean water, and telecommunications in 18 villages due to flash floods.
The flooding and landslides also destroyed two bridges, two government offices, a plantation, rice fields, and resulted in livestock deaths. (AP) SKS SKS SKS
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