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32 dead, several missing due to heavy floods and landslides in Indonesia

The natural disaster has impacted nearly 5,000 people as their houses were hit by the flash floods, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.

32 dead, several missing due to heavy floods and landslides in Indonesia

Representational image (Photo: IStock)

The death toll due to flash floods and landslides in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province has climbed to 32 with 15 others still missing, according to an official on Friday.

The search and rescue operation for the victims of the natural disaster was hampered by poor access to the scene, with the possibilities of more flash floods, the officials said.

“Eleven bodies were retrieved by the rescuers on Thursday, putting the total to 32. The rescuers have been on alert for the possibility of more flash floods as the weather is cloudy,” he said.

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Mud and logs on the roads slowed the mobility of 359 rescue personnel to reach the affected areas, according to him.

The natural disaster has impacted nearly 5,000 people as their houses were hit by the flash floods, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.

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.

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