Jakarta (VNA) –Indonesia has issued a 14-day state of emergency to cope with the heavy consequencesof flash floods and landslide triggered by torrential rain in the easternprovince of Papua, as fatalities have climbed to 77 on March 18.
According to the disasteragency, 43 are still missing while scores have suffered from injuries in theflood. Rescue forces are struggling to search for survivors under heaps of mud,soil and fallen trees.
The military said 5,700 peoplehad been evacuated from the worst hit areas.
Floods are common in Indonesia duringthe rainy season which lasts from October to next year’s April. Last January, floodsand landslides in Sulawesi claimed at least 70 lives.
Also on March 18, threetourists, including two Malaysians, were killed at the Tiu Kelep tourist site inLombok island in a landslide triggered by an earth quake. Dozens of others wereinjured in the disaster.
Lombok is carrying outreconstruction work after a series of quakes and aftershocks killed more than500 people and caused damage worth 528 million USD last year.-VNA
