The death toll from flash floods and landslides in Indonesia jumped to 26, a disaster agency official said Thursday, as rescuers race to find still-missing victims.

Thousands have been evacuated from their homes as heavy rain and strong winds pounded the southern part of Sulawesi island, swelling rivers that burst their banks and inundating dozens of communities in nine southern districts.

Parts of the provincial capital Makassar have also been affected.

"As of this morning, 26 people are confirmed to have died and 24 others are missing," said Syamsibar, the head of the local disaster mitigation agency, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

The death toll had stood at eight on Wednesday.

More than 3,000 people have been evacuated and at least 46 are being treated at local hospitals and health clinics.

The floods also damaged houses, government buildings, schools and bridges.

"The search and rescue teams are still looking for missing victims and evacuating people whose homes were inundated by the flooding," Syamsibar said.

Landslides and flooding are common in Indonesia, especially during the monsoon season between October and April, when rain lashes the vast tropical archipelago.

In October, flash floods and landslides killed at least 22 people in several districts across Sumatra island.

Related Links
Dirt, rocks and all the stuff we stand on firmly

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Kilauea: Volatile home of Hawaii's volcano goddess
Paris (AFP) May 4, 2018
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is one of the world's most active, with a lake of molten lava at its peak and an eastern rift erupting near-continuously since 1983. Perched in the south east corner, it is one of five volcanoes that make up Hawaii's Big Island, and the home of Pele - the goddess of fire and mythological creator of the archipelago. - Is the outburst unusual? - Kilauea is described as an "effusive" volcano, periodically oozing lava from its main crater and along two active rifts or c ... read more