Torrential rains trigger deadly flash floods on Siau island, killing 16, injuring 22 and displacing nearly 700 villagers as rescue teams search for three missing.
JAKARTA: Torrential rains triggered a deadly flash flood on Indonesia’s Siau island, killing at least 16 people.
The national disaster mitigation agency said three others remain missing after the river overflowed on Monday.
Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said 22 people were injured and nearly 700 villagers were displaced by the disaster.
“The flash flood was triggered by heavy-intensity rain that had drenched the area since the early hours, causing the river’s water flow to surge suddenly,” Abdul said.
Images from the search and rescue agency showed large rocks and uprooted trees swept away by the force of the water.
The flood cut off road access and damaged dozens of homes, public buildings and infrastructure.
Floods are common in Indonesia during the rainy season, which typically lasts from October to March.
Tropical storms and intense monsoon rains pummelled parts of South and Southeast Asia late last year.
This triggered deadly landslides and floods from the rainforests of Indonesia’s Sumatra to highland plantations in Sri Lanka.
Indonesian authorities say at least 1,178 people were killed in Sumatra, with more than 240,000 displaced.
While the annual monsoon often brings heavy rain, the Sumatra deluge in November was among the island’s worst disasters since the 2004 tsunami.
