The death toll from flash floods in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province rose to 32 on Thursday with 16 people still missing, officials said.
National Search and Rescue Agency spokesman Yusuf Latif said rain continued to fall as hundreds of rescuers searched Thursday for the missing villagers. The floods began Saturday evening when heavy rains caused three rivers to overflow.
The six subdistricts affected by the floods are far from the provincial capital, Makassar, and rescuers were hampered by thick mud covering the roads that made the areas difficult to reach.
People carry their belongings as they wade through water in an area affected by flash floods in Luwu Utara, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, Thursday, July 16, 2020. A number of people were killed and missing after heavy rains in the South Sulawesi province swelled rivers and send floodwaters, mud and debris across roads and into thousands of homes. (AP PhotoKhaizuran Muchtamir)
“It is difficult to pass through the areas. We are also having communication difficulties,” Latid said.
Heavy rains cause frequent flash floods and landslides in Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near flood plains.