At least 21 people have been killed and 31 others reported missing due to the flash floods and landslides in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province on Wednesday, according to an official.
The search and rescue efforts were intensified in the flash flood-stricken district of Luwu Utara on Wednesday, involving 539 rescuers, the officials added.
“Today five bodies were retrieved by the rescuers, bringing the total number of casualties to 21”, it said.
Meanwhile, 10 people are still under medical treatment in a hospital, he said.
The search and rescue mission will resume on Thursday morning to focus on Masamba city and Radda village, as they were hit the hardest by the calamity, the official said.
“For tomorrow (Thursday), the number of the rescuers have been divided into six teams. They will intensify search and rescue efforts in Masamba and Radda,” the officials further noted.
Scores of houses, a school building and public facilities were damaged, according to the search and rescue office.
Earlier this year, at least 19 people were killed and thousands of people to flee their homes after heavy rains inundated both residential and commercial areas across the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
In 2019, Indonesia’s flash flood and landslides claimed 26 lives.
Landslides and flooding are common in Indonesia, especially during the monsoon season between October and April when rain lashes the vast tropical archipelago.
Earlier, flash floods and landslides killed at least 22 people in several districts across Sumatra island.