At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and 10 others remain missing after torrential rains triggered flash floods and landslides in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province and the tourist island of Bali, authorities said on Wednesday.
Heavy rainfall beginning Monday caused rivers to overflow and set off landslides across the two provinces, sweeping away homes, vehicles, and infrastructure.
In East Nusa Tenggara, the village of Mauponggo in Nagekeo district was among the hardest hit. Rescuers on Wednesday recovered the bodies of a mother and her child buried in mud, as well as a man in nearby Loka Laba village. Earlier, three members of the same family were found dead after their house was swept away, with four others still missing.
In Bali, a woman’s body was recovered near Badung market in Denpasar late Wednesday, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari. Six people are still unaccounted for. Earlier, eight other victims were confirmed dead, including four killed when a building collapsed in the Kumbasari market area of South Denpasar, according to Nyoman Sidakarya, head of Bali’s Search and Rescue Agency.
The floods have affected nine cities and districts in Bali, inundating at least 112 neighborhoods and causing widespread damage to roads, bridges, shops, and homes. Dramatic video footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed cars being swept away in muddy currents, while soldiers and rescue workers used rubber boats to evacuate stranded children and the elderly from rooftops.
Bali Governor Wayan Koster said floodwaters in some areas reached up to 2.5 meters, displacing over 800 people who have been moved to temporary shelters. Power and water supplies were disrupted, forcing essential services such as hospitals and hotels to rely on generators.
In Nagekeo, flash floods destroyed two bridges, government buildings, a plantation, rice fields, and livestock, according to local disaster agency head Agustinus Pone. At least six people were confirmed dead in the area, with four still missing.
Rescue efforts have been hindered by ongoing severe weather and difficult terrain, said Muhari.
Indonesia is prone to flooding and landslides during its rainy season, which typically spans from September to March.
