Deadly flash floods devastate Indonesian island

By Kielce Gussie

Indonesia’s Java Island is recovering from devastating flash floods and landslides following torrential rain, which started last week.

At least 10 people have been killed as rescuers continue to search for two people who are still missing.

A community devastated

With the buildup of heavy rain, rivers burst and ripped through 172 villages in the Sukabumi district in the West Java province. More than 3,000 people were forced to flee to temporary government shelters, and authorities have cautioned another 1,000 to evacuate.

Responders recovered 10 bodies, including three children, from the worst-hit villages of Tegalbuleud, Simpenan, and Ciemas.

The flash floods, strong winds, and landslides also destroyed 31 bridges, 81 roads, more than 1,300 acres of rice fields, and 1,170 houses.

A man rests in a hut surrounded by floodwaters in the East Java province

Yet Indonesia is not out of the woods. State meteorologists reported three tropical cyclone systems approaching the archipelago of 17,000 islands. They are expected to bring torrential rain and massive waves.

In November, relentless rain hit another part of Indonesia—the North Sumatra province—which triggered a landslide and flash floods, killing 20 people.