
Hanoi (VNA) - More than 70 people have diedand dozens are still missing after flash floods and landslides swept throughEast Nusa Tenggara of Indonesia and neighbouring Timor-Leste on April 4.
Indonesia disaster management agency spokesmanRaditya Jati told broadcaster MetroTV that there are 55 deaths, but the figureis expected to rise while some 42 people are still missing.
The natural disasters have also forced hundreds ofpeople to be evacuated. At least four houses have been seriously damaged while17 others were washed away.
The rescue effort has been hampered due to cut-offroads and mudslides.
Meanwhile, at least 16 people have died in TimorLeste, said a local official.
Floods sparked by torrential rain wreaked havoc anddestruction on islands stretching from Flores Island to Timor Leste.
The deluge and subsequent landslides caused dams tooverflow, submerging thousands of houses and leaving rescue workers strugglingto reach survivors trapped in the aftermath./.