Death toll from Indonesia flash floods rises to 19

JAKARTA

The death toll from deadly flash floods that swept two Indonesian islands, including tourist hotspot Bali, rose to 19 on Thursday, officials said, with five others missing.

Torrential rain since late Sept. 9 triggered floods and landslides in seven districts across Bali, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said in a statement.

The death toll in Bali had risen to 14, Abdul said, up from nine late on Sept. 10, with two people missing.

More than 500 people were evacuated, with public facilities including schools, village halls and mosques converted into makeshift shelters.

"Officers are still carrying out emergency response efforts such as searching for victims and managing floods and landslides that have impacted the public," Abdul said.

The toll from a flash flood that hit the Nagekeo district of Flores island also rose to five after a young child was found dead yesterday, local search and rescue agency head Fathur Rahman said.

Rescuers were using excavators and a thermal drone as they searched for three people still missing in Nagekeo, Fathur said.

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said in a statement this week that moderate rain could return in provinces including Bali between today and Sept. 15.

The annual monsoon season in Indonesia, typically between November and April, often brings landslides, flash floods and water-borne diseases.