Floods and Landslides in Indonesia Kill at Least 19 People

At least 19 villagers were killed after torrential rains caused flooding and triggered landslides on the Indonesian island of Java, officials said Wednesday.

One of the worst-affected areas was the district of Garut, where 16 people died, including five children, seven women and an 8-month-old baby, after Cimanuk and Cikamuri rivers overflowed Tuesday night, reports the Associated Press. Nine people in Garut and Sumedang districts, in West Java province, are still missing.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Mitigation Agency, told AP that nearly 1,000 villagers have been evacuated to army barracks and other temporary shelters.

“The floods have receded in several spots,” Sutopo told local media on Wednesday morning. “[But] the situation is quite critical there,” he added.

[AP]