Khaberni - At least 14 people have perished after being swept away by floods in the North Sulawesi region of Indonesia as the search for the missing continues.
Norideen Jumeleng, spokesperson for the local rescue agency, stated that the heavy rains that fell early Monday caused floods on Siaw Island located in the Siaw Tagulandang Biaro region.
He added that the authorities deployed 16 rescuers searching for four people still missing today, adding that 18 people have been injured so far, and stated, "We continue to collect data from local residents in case there are more missing."
Evacuations by hundreds
Jumeleng said that the main roads in the affected areas are still covered with rocks, debris, and dense mud until today, Tuesday. Abdul Mahar, spokesperson for the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency, said in a statement that it was possible to evacuate at least 444 people to local schools and churches after the floods.
He added that authorities deployed excavators to clear the roads blocked by the debris and mud, and stated that Yulius Silvanus, Governor of North Sulawesi, said the floods also destroyed hundreds of homes and government buildings.
The floods occurred at the peak of the rainy season on the island of Sulawesi. The Indonesian Meteorological Agency predicted that the islands of Java, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua would peak their rainy seasons in January and February of this year, increasing the risks of floods.
Rains in other parts of Indonesia, such as Sumatra and Borneo, peaked in November and December of the previous year. In November, floods and landslides caused by a typhoon killed more than 1,000 people in Sumatra, with hundreds still missing.