Extreme weather looms over Indonesia

Floods affected more than 16,700 people in at least 11 areas in Indonesia’s Central Java and East Java last week, of them 280 forced to flee to safer places, the country's National Disaster Mitigation Agency reported.

Residents take shelter from flooding in a tent in Koto Sebelas Tarusan district, South Pesisir regency, West Sumatra, on March 11, 2024. (Photo: Antara)

The flood-hit localities included Salatiga city and parts of Demak, Grobogan, Brebes, Bantul, and Mojokerto districts, the agency said.

Floods and landslides in the Indonesian province of West Sumatra have killed at least 26 people while six have been still missing. 

The death toll from floods and landslides in West Sumatra province has risen to 32. At least two people have died and hundreds been displaced by severe flooding in several regions of Central Java and East Java.

Two foreign tourists were found dead on March 14 on the Indonesian resort island of Bali after heavy rain triggered a landslide that swept away their villa in Jatiluwih village.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency warned that some areas could experience more extreme weather in the coming days, and the northern coast of Central Java may be hit by tidal floods.

The Semarang city Disaster Management Agency reported 361 disasters nationwide in the first two months of this year, which left 47 people dead, 1.6 million displaced, and more than 13,000 houses damaged./.

VNA