Dozens dead in Indonesian floods, 12,000 more evacuated
- In Sumatra, authorities said that illegal coal mining was partly to blame for deadly landslides
Floods sparked by torrential rains have killed nearly 40 in Indonesia with a dozen more still missing, officials said on Monday, marking the latest calamity for a disaster-prone nation.
Landslides and floods are common, especially during the monsoon season between October and April, when rains lash the vast Southeast Asian archipelago.
On Monday, Indonesia’s disaster agency confirmed 29 deaths and said at least 13 more people were missing in Sumatra island’s Bengkulu province.
A landslide triggered by heavy rain in neighbouring Lampung province on Saturday also killed a family of six.
Meanwhile, flooding in and around parts of the capital Jakarta last week killed at least two people, forced more than 2,000 to evacuate their homes and set 14 pet pythons on the loose.
In Bogor, a satellite city of Jakarta, residents had to contend with the prospect of coming face to face with the giant serpents, after they were set loose from a private property due to the high waters.