On Monday, torrential rains and landslides killed 11 people and left dozens missing on one of Indonesia's most remote islands, according to the country's disaster agency.
According to the latest information from local officials on the Riau Islands, "11 body bags had been filled," and "50 people are estimated missing," according to National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari on Kompas TV.
The pictures provided by the agency showed that mud and debris from the landslides had flattened and completely covered the houses on Serasan island, which is located between Borneo and mainland Malaysia.
Parts of ripped metal roofs could be seen.
Muhari also stated that access to the remote island would be difficult for rescue personnel.
"Normally, a fast boat takes five hours," he explained. "Tomorrow, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency will deploy a helicopter to expedite the logistics delivery process," says the agency.
During the rainy season, Indonesia is prone to landslides, which are exacerbated in some areas by deforestation, and prolonged torrential rain has caused flooding in various areas of the archipelago nation.
Flooding in Banjar district, Indonesian Borneo, inundated over 17,000 houses and disrupted lives for a month.
After heavy rains triggered landslides, Indonesia's capital Jakarta and surrounding cities experienced some of the deadliest floods in years in 2020.
That disaster claimed the lives of at least 67 people.
Content created and supplied by: I'munique (via Opera News )
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