At least 14 people have died on the Indonesian island of Bali as a result of the strongest floods in the last 10 years. This was reported by the BBC, writes UNN.
Details
Torrential rains caused severe floods across the island, forcing rivers to overflow their banks. The rains have already stopped, and water levels are receding, but rescuers are still searching for survivors. Two people are missing in Denpasar, where eight of the total deaths occurred.
Since Tuesday, hundreds of residents have been evacuated as their homes were submerged. Major roads were blocked due to landslides, and at least two bridges were damaged.
People here were shocked. The flood was very strong. I thought Bali had a sufficient drainage system
The provincial government declared a state of emergency for one week.
President Prabowo Subianto expressed his deep condolences regarding the flood in his statement on Wednesday. The President instructed all relevant agencies to act "quickly" and emphasized the need for "targeted assistance," his cabinet secretary said.
Nyoman Sidakarya, head of Bali's search and rescue agency, told local agency Antara that rescue teams were "having difficulty reaching flooded areas."
"The flood is everywhere, even trucks can barely pass," he said.
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According to authorities, two people died from electrocution and were swept away by the current in southwest Bali in Jembrana district.
Another eight victims were found dead in Denpasar, the capital of Bali, and three in Gianyar district. One person died in Badung district.
At least 85 people were evacuated to temporary shelters in the Jembrana area of southwest Bali, and two houses collapsed in Denpasar.
Addition
Bali is not the only island in Indonesia affected by flash floods and heavy rains.
At least three people died, two were injured, and four went missing in the neighboring province of East Nusa Tenggara, the emergency agency reported on Tuesday.
The climatological station in Bali recorded over 385 mm of precipitation in 24 hours.
Popular tourist areas were also severely affected — hotels and businesses are struggling with the consequences. Officials in some areas say that garbage has clogged drainage systems, worsening the floods. The island has long had problems with waste management and weak infrastructure.
Bali is still under a severe weather warning, although the intensity of the rains is expected to decrease from Thursday.
Landslides and flash floods are not uncommon in the Indonesian archipelago, especially during the rainy season, and, according to officials, climate change has only worsened the situation.