At least 15 people have died and dozens are missing after landslides and torrential rains hit one of Indonesia's most remote islands bordering the South China Sea, Indonesian authorities said.
Images provided by the national agency show that mud and debris caused by the landslide have completely covered the houses that stood on the edge of a cliff on the island of Serasan.
Pieces of metal torn from roofs and fallen trees were visible.
The remoteness of the village from the Riau Islands province where the landslide occurred, combined with bad weather and the cutting of lines of communication, complicates the deployment of relief, according to the authorities.
"We have been informed that 50 people are missing, another 15 deceased have been evacuated," director of the Natuna Islands search and rescue agency, Abdul Rahman, told AFP, reviewing an initial assessment.
The communication network is cut in the disaster zone, between the island of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia, making it difficult to communicate the latest information, added Junainah, spokesman for the disaster relief agency of the Riau Islands. .
"The weather is unpredictable. The wind is strong and the waves are currently high," said the spokesperson, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name.
A 60-person search and rescue team set out for the disaster area from the Natuna Islands, National Disaster Relief Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said Monday evening on a local TV channel.
"Normally, it takes five hours by boat," he said, adding, "Tomorrow (Tuesday), the National Agency for the Fight against Natural Disasters will deploy a helicopter to speed up the transport of logistical means" .
A main road in the village was also cut off by the landslide, further slowing the evacuation of residents.
During the rainy season, Indonesia is prone to landslides, aggravated in some places by deforestation, and prolonged torrential rains. These caused flooding in different regions of the archipelago.
Weather disasters are expected to increase in the country due to climate change, experts say.
In the Indonesian part of Borneo, more than 17,000 houses have been flooded, disrupting the daily lives of residents of Banjar district for a month.
Neighboring Malaysia also suffered torrential rains, which were also followed by floods. At least four people died and nearly 41,000 were evacuated last week.
In 2020, Indonesia's capital Jakarta and nearby towns experienced one of the deadliest floods in years after downpours triggered landslides.
At least 67 people died in this disaster.
06/03/2023 19:05:02 - Jakarta (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
