Flash floods and mudslides in eastern Indonesia, 58 dead so far

Monday, March 18, 2019

Torrential downpours followed by flash floods and mudslides in mountainside villages in Indonesia’s easternmost province killed 58 and left thousands homeless. The dead included 3 children. Roads and bridges in several areas of Papua province’s Jayapura district were destroyed, hampering rescue efforts. The Indonesia flash floods began just after midnight Saturday.

Papua’s provincial administration has declared a two-week emergency in order to get assistance from the central government. 58 bodies had been pulled from the mud and wreckage of crumpled homes by Sunday. About 74 people were hospitalized with injuries including broken bones and head wounds. The number of dead and injured is likely to increase since many affected areas have not been reached.

The worst hit was the Sentani subdistrict, where there was a landslide early Sunday minutes after a river burst its banks, sweeping away residents in a fast-moving deluge of water, heavy logs and debris.

Seasonal downpours cause frequent landslides and floods and kill dozens each year in Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.

He said that rising flood water forced Sentani airport to temporarily close Sunday after a runway was flooded and water damaged the power system and two small planes parked at the airport.

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