At least 16 people have died and three remain missing after torrential rains triggered a devastating flash flood on Indonesia’s Siau island.

The national disaster mitigation agency confirmed on Tuesday that an overflowing river surged through four towns on the small island, located north of Sulawesi, following hours of intense rainfall on Monday.

The sudden surge of water, rocks, and uprooted trees caught many residents off guard in the early morning hours.

Beyond the fatalities, authorities reported that 22 people were injured and nearly 700 villagers were forced to flee their homes. Search and rescue teams are currently scouring the debris for the three individuals still unaccounted for.

The disaster has caused significant damage to the island’s infrastructure, cutting off road access and destroying dozens of homes and public buildings.

Images from the scene depict the sheer power of the floodwaters, which carried massive boulders into residential areas.

Flooding is a frequent occurrence in Indonesia during the rainy season, which typically runs from October to March.
However, the region has been under extreme pressure recently. Late last year, tropical storms and monsoons battered South and Southeast Asia, leading to catastrophic events from Sri Lanka to Sumatra.

In Sumatra alone, authorities recorded at least 1,178 deaths and the displacement of over 240,000 people due to a massive deluge in November.

Officials noted that the Sumatra floods were among the deadliest disasters to hit the island since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, underscoring the increasing severity of seasonal weather patterns in the region.

Source: AFP