Indonesian rescuers search for missing people as floods recede

DENPASAR Indonesia AP Rescuers on Thursday searched in rivers and the rubble of devastated villages for survivors of devastating flash floods that struck two provinces in Indonesia a day earlier as waters began to recede Torrential rains beginning Monday caused flooding and landslides on the tourist island of Bali and in East Nusa Tenggara province killing at least people and leaving missing Rain caused rivers to burst their banks tearing through nine cities and districts on Bali Mud rocks and trees tumbled onto mountainside hamlets and rising rivers submerged at least neighborhoods and resulted in a dozen landslides in several places National Accident Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari announced in a report Muhari disclosed Thursday that rescuers had retrieved five more bodies as floods receded in Bali bringing the death toll from floods on the island to Rescue workers are searching for two residents still missing he revealed As river levels returned to normal on Thursday people in Denpasar Bali s capital left crammed urgency shelters They discovered streets covered in mud and debris cars lying upside down in parks or piled up in narrow alleys and sidewalks strewn with sandals pots and pans and old photographs Executives took advantage of the receding waters to begin clearing away mud and removing piles of wet garbage from the streets and electricity was restored to tens of thousands of residences and businesses Heavy seasonal rain from about September to March frequently causes flooding and landslides in Indonesia Suharyanto the head of the National Mishap Mitigation Agency narrated a news conference late Wednesday that the threat of flooding in Bali is over The floods in Bali swept away people and about kiosks and small shophouses in art and constituents markets killing at least six residents and submerging hundreds of houses and buildings forcing hundreds of residents to flee to temporary shelters noted Suharyanto who goes by a single name like a great number of Indonesians He explained up to rescue workers police and soldiers have been deployed since Wednesday to search for six people reportedly still missing in Bali as the floods also have damaged roads bridges and other infrastructures About people remain crammed in ruling body shelters in Bali the agency explained Scores of rescue personnel were searching through a river around the remote village of Mauponggo in East Nusa Tenggara where floods left tons of mud rocks and trees Rescuers were focused on finding four people including two toddlers who were swept away by floods along with houses mentioned local police chief Dewa Putu Suariawan Six other villagers were pulled out of floodwaters or mud on Wednesday Local Accident Mitigation Agency head Agustinus Pone stated the severe weather and rugged terrain that hampered rescue efforts exacerbated by the disruption of electricity clean water and telecommunications networks in villages by flash floods He revealed that flooding and landslides in the area also destroyed two bridges two administration offices a plantation and rice fields and killed livestock