Indonesia is seeing an increased risk of hydrometeorological disasters due to the La Niña weather phenomenon, which typically brings a wetter rainy season to the archipelago.
series of fatal landslides and a flash flood triggered by extreme weather have claimed the lives of more than a dozen people in Central Java and Bali, as the country experiences a wetter rainy season resulting from the La Niña weather phenomenon.
At least 16 people were killed and ten others were injured after a torrential downpour triggered a flash flood and landslide in Pekalongan regency, Central Java, on Monday afternoon.
The disasters hit nine villages in the districts of Petungkriono and Kadangserang, severely damaging bridges and cutting off road access to the area.
Rescue teams are still in the process of searching for three victims who are trapped under the debris, but authorities said evacuation efforts had been hampered by poor weather and challenging terrain.
"Rescuers have even had to crawl to reach certain areas. The affected villages are also still experiencing heavy rains, leading to a risk of another landslide," Central Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) acting head Bergas Catursari said on Tuesday.
Pekalongan secretary M. Yulian Akbar said officials were in the process of sending heavy machinery, logistical supplies and additional rescue personnel to expedite rescue operations at the site.
Rescue teams are also working to find several people who were reportedly swept away by a flash flood while fishing in a river in Petungkriono district on Monday.
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