Over 100 dead in Indonesia landslides, floods
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Debris in the town of Adonara in East Flores on Sunday after flash floods and landslides swept eastern Indonesia and neighbouring East Timor. (Picture courtesy CNN)
Jakarta: Floods and landslides have killed more than 100 people in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Dozens of people were missing, oficials and media reports said on Monday.
Volcanic debris from Mount Lewotolo engulfed homes on Sunday following heavy rain, killing 20 people and leaving more than 60 missing, Thomas Ola, the head of Lembata district, told dpa news agency.
"Fourteen villages are still totally isolated, with roads inaccessible," he said.
The death toll is likely to increase as information was still being gathered from the villages, he said.
Mount Lewatolo has erupted intermittently since December.
The death toll In another part of the province rose to 73, after flash floods and landslides hit villages on Adonara island, news agency IANS quoted Metro TV news channel as reporting.
High seas prevent easy access to the island, said Raditya Jati, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency. He said that the only way to there is by sea but that is prevented by strong winds and storms making sailing that much difficult.
Furthermore, interruptions to internet access meant limited information is available and the death toll could be higher.
Meanwhile, on nearby Alor island, similar disasters killed at least 11 people, according to the disaster agency.
It said more than 100 homes damaged and five bridges collapsed.
The climatology and meteorological agency predicted that some parts of Indonesia could face extreme weather, with heavy and torrential rain, strong winds and large waves during the week ahead.
The weather forecast also said that the tropical cyclone Seroja may intensify over the coming day and it may move south-west away from Indonesia.
President Joko Widodo said he was deeply saddened by the disasters.
"I understand the plight of our fellow citizens affected by the disasters," he said.
"I'm calling for immediate provision of health care, food and other basic needs to the affected people and restoration of infrastructure."
Indonesia has recorded nearly 1,000 disasters since January, mostly hydro-meteorological hazards, including flooding and landslides, according to the disaster management agency.
At least 337 people have been killed, 55 are missing and 4.3 million have been affected, with many displaced, it said.
