Bondowoso, East Java (ANTARA) - A flash flood submerged hundreds of homes in Sempol Village, Ijen Sub-district, Bondowoso District, East Java Province, on Wednesday.
Muddy floodwaters inundated Sempol after unremitting torrential rains in the Mount Suket area in Jampit, Kukuh Triyatmoko, head of the Bondowoso disaster mitigation office, stated.
Floodwaters and mud, reaching a height of nearly 30 centimeters, submerged some 200 homes in Sempol, he noted.
"Some 200 homes are estimated to have been affected by the flooding, but we are yet collecting precise data. No reports of casualties have, so far, been received," he remarked.
The flooding was triggered by downpour lashing over two hours in the upstream Mount Suket area, near a coffee plantation.
Indonesia is currently experiencing wet rainy season after being hit by prolonged drought that has resulted in a water crisis in several provinces.
In Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, six people lost their lives, while three went missing in flash floods, according to the Central Tapanuli Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD). Flooding due to torrential rain submerged seven villages in Barus Sub-district, Central Tapanuli District, North Sumatra, on early Wednesday morning.
The flooding also caused injuries to 22 people and inundated some 700 homes, Agus Haryanto, Secretary of the Central Tapanuli BPBD, confirmed on Wednesday.
"The latest data indicated that six people died, while three were declared missing. The dead victims are yet being identified," he noted.
The flood-affected villages were Kampung Mudik, Pasar Terandam, Bungo Tanjung, Kinali, Ujung Batu, Batu Gerigis, and Padang Masiang.
Evacuation posts and health posts have been established in the district to handle residents affected by the natural disaster.
Meanwhile, in Batanghari District, Jambi Province, at least 16 villages were inundated, as the Batanghari River overflowed its bank since the past one week.
"Some 16 villages in six sub-districts are affected by the flooding," Samral, secretary of the Batanghari Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), stated on Wednesday.
