T

he National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has declared 2016 “a year of natural disasters”, as deteriorating weather caused an abnormally high number of floods and landslides across the archipelago. Hundreds of people have been killed, while millions have been displaced.

The agency recorded 1,985 natural disaster incidents from January to Nov. 11, already making 2016 the worst year in more than a decade. In the past 10 years, the highest annual figure was 1,967 in 2014.

“More flash floods, tornadoes and landslides are predicted to come, as precipitation will continue to rise until December,” BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Monday.

According to the agency’s data, natural disasters in 2016 claimed the lives of 375 people, while 383 others were injured and 2.52 million displaced.

In Bone regency, South Sulawesi, a joint search and rescue team on Monday was still looking for two people reported missing in Sunday’s flash flood near Merungnge River in Palakka district.

The two were identified as Ashar Syahputra, 17, and Ridwan Gunawan, 20. The body of 26-year-old Musdalifah was found on Sunday some 3 kilometers from the site of the flash flood.

Search and rescue officer Andi Sultan said the number of fatalities was not yet known.

The river was only recently turned into a recreational site. More than 100 visitors were swept away by the strong current of water up to 4 meters deep when the flash flood struck.

As of 9:30 p.m. on the day, 96 people were found alive up to 6 kilometers from the site.

Bone Regency Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Bahar Kadir said the flash flood had been triggered by heavy rain for several hours in the river’s upstream area.

In the province of Riau, meanwhile, floods and landslides hit a number of areas on Monday morning following days of heavy rain.

In Rokan Hulu regency, at least 700 houses in four subdistricts were inundated in water of up to a meter due to the overflowing rivers Batang Lubuh, Aliantan and Teriak.

Flooding also hit Bengkalis district of Bengkalis regency, inundating some 300 houses and four schools in Teluk Latak subdistrict and forcing the authorities to send the students home.

In Kampar regency, heavy downpours caused a landslide at the trans-Sumatra highway, paralyzing the main road connection between Riau and West Sumatra.

Heavy rain on Sunday afternoon increased the number of floods in the city of Bandung and on the Cikampek toll road.

The BNPB said those floods, too, were due to overflowing rivers. Apart from damaging cars, houses and the archive building of the Cicendo hospital, the floods disrupted railway operations.

Bandung Police spokeswoman Comr. Reny Martha said the flash floods had hit Pagarsih, Arjuna, Sarijadi, Gegerkalong and Pasirkoja.

She added the water had inundated houses in the affected areas by up to 1.6 meters but quickly subsided an hour later, tempo.com reported.

Bandung train station was also inundated for hours, disrupting operations for two hours.

“The railway tracks have been inundated in water since noon, so trains were halted in the stations of Cikudapateuh and Ciroyom,” said Ilud Siregar, a spokesperson of state-owned railway company PTKA.

In the province of Jambi, heavy rain in a number of regions caused an increase in the water level of the Batanghari River.