Updated at: 1350 PST, Monday, October 04, 2010
JAKARTA: Thirteen people were killed and dozens were missing Monday after flash floods smashed through a district in eastern Indonesia's Papua province, officials said.
The early morning floods were unleashed after continuous torrential downpours that began late Sunday in Teluk Wondama district of West Papua province, national disaster management centre spokesman Priyadi Kardono said.
"According to the data from local officials, 13 bodies have been found and dozens of people went missing," he said.
Rescuers were struggling to get to the areas.
"It's hard to reach the affected area as many trees have fallen down and blocked the roads," he said.
A local official said that hundreds of people had been displaced and sought refuge in hilly areas.
"Many children went missing," district spokeswoman Titi Ningsih Winzer said, quoted by the Kompas news website.
Floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, which is prone to frequent heavy rain. |
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