Flash floods and landslides claim 13 lives in Indonesia, 6 people remain missing
Image credit: Ariana News (stillshot)
Flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall struck Indonesia’s eastern province of Maluku on Sunday, August 25, 2024. The disaster claimed 13 lives and 6 people remain missing, with search and rescue operations currently underway.
Triggered by heavy rainfall on Saturday, August 24, flash floods and landslides hit Ternate City in the eastern province of Maluku on Sunday morning, according to the locality’s disaster management and mitigation office.
The flooding and landslides have claimed 13 lives so far, and 6 people remain missing. According to Fatur Rahman, head of the Search and Rescue Office in the province, eight people survived the natural disaster in Ternate City. All survivors were treated for their injuries in three local hospitals.
The deluge cut off the main road and access to the village of Rua in North Maluku Province, the hardest-hit area, and buried dozens of houses and buildings under mud.
A total of 1 000 personnel from a joint team of soldiers, police officers, local rescue workers, disaster agency staff, and volunteers from various institutions are currently engaged in the search and rescue mission. The operation is planned to continue for seven days and could be extended if necessary.
Heavy rain is still possible in the Ternate City area and its surroundings in the coming days, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency.
References:
1 Floods, landslides kill many in Indonesia, Thailand – Vietnam Plus – August 25, 2024
2 13 killed, 6 missing from deadly flash floods, landslides in Indonesia – Ap7am – August 26, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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