44 Dead In East Flores Flash Floods, Landslides

JAKARTA, April 5 (Bernama) -- At least 44 people have been confirmed dead thus far in flash floods and landslides, following torrential rain in East Flores Regency in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), in a statement issued on Sunday, said that dozens of houses in several villages in the district were inundated with mud, apart from being buried in landslides. “The primary obstacle to providing relief is that the area can only be accessed by crossing the sea to Adonara Island. Rain, wind and big waves at this time are causing the rescue team to face difficulties in reaching the location,” the statement read, as at 7 pm Sunday evening. It also said that torrential rain over the past three days in the area had caused flash floods since early hours of Sunday, involving several villages and settlements. The number of casualties is feared to increase as many are still reported missing and buried in landslides and mud. -- BERNAMA