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Flash floods in Indonesia and Timor Leste kill more than 50

05 April 2021 04:29 (UTC +04:00)

At least 50 people have died after flash flooding and landslides hit Indonesia and Timor Leste on Sunday, APA reports citing BBC.

Torrential rain sparked widespread destruction, with flood water from overflowing dams submerging thousands of homes on the islands.

The affected area stretched from Flores island in eastern Indonesia to the neighbouring nation of Timor Leste.

Rescuers are still attempting to find survivors, and officials warned the death toll could rise further.

"Four sub-districts and seven villages have been impacted," Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Raditya Jati told reporters.

"After verifying the data with our team in the field, we found that there are 41 people dead. 27 people are still missing and nine people are injured."

However East Flores deputy regent Agustinus Payong Boli estimated that as many as 60 people in his municipality had died. This number has not been confirmed by Indonesian national authorities.