Death toll from Indonesia's flash floods rises to 19

Jakarta, Aug 26 (IANS) Nineteen people have been confirmed dead, and seven others were injured after flash floods and landslides struck Indonesia's North Maluku on Sunday, damaging houses and infrastructure, a senior official said on Monday.

Fehby Alting, head of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Office in the province, said that all the bodies of the nineteen victims had been discovered and heavy machinery had been deployed to accelerate search and rescue operations, Xinhua news agency reported.

To facilitate the relief efforts, the local administration declared a 14-day emergency status in the disaster-affected areas, Alting added.

Lieutenant General Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Management Agency, visited the impacted areas to ensure that disaster response efforts were proceeding effectively, said Abdul Muhari, the agency's spokesman.

The agency has distributed aid, including food supplies and clothing, to affected individuals. According to Muhari, a coordination meeting with local authorities is planned to discuss recovery efforts.

Heavy downpours, which began on Saturday, triggered the flash floods and landslides in Ternate, as confirmed by the local disaster management and mitigation agency.

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 the mud. Search and rescue teams worked with locals to recover the bodies and look for those still missing.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency said high-intensity rain is still possible in the Ternate City area and its surroundings in the coming days.

Local authorities advised residents to remain vigilant and heed instructions in case of further flooding. Heavy rain causes frequent landslides and flash floods in Indonesia, where millions live in mountainous areas and near floodplains.