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At least 42 dead in floods in Indonesia’s Papua: official
JAKARTA, March 17, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – At least 42 people have been killed by
flash floods in Indonesia’s eastern Papua province, an official said Sunday.
The floods in Sentani, near the provincial capital of Jayapura, were
triggered by torrential rain on Saturday, and also left 21 people injured.
Dozens of homes were damaged by floodwaters, national disaster agency
spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
“The number of casualties and impact of the disaster will likely increase
as search and rescue teams are still trying to reach other affected areas,”
he added.
The floods have receded, but officials are still trying to evacuate people.
Flooding is not uncommon in Indonesia, especially during the rainy season
which runs from October to April.
In January, floods and landslides killed at least 70 people on Sulawesi
island, while earlier this month hundreds in West Java province were forced
to evacuate when torrential rains triggered severe flooding.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0907 hrs