Indonesian rescuers search for missing as Bali, East Nusa Tenggara floods recede

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 recedeTorrential rains beginning Monday caused flooding and landslides on the tourist island of Bali and in East Nusa Tenggara province killing at least 15 people and leaving 10 missingRain caused rivers to burst their banks tearing through nine cities and districts on Bali Mud rocks and trees tumbled onto the mountainside hamlets and rising rivers submerged at least 112 neighbourhoods resulting in several landslides Balis Disaster Mitigation Agency said in a statementAs river levels returned to normal on Thursday people in Denpasar Balis capital left crammed emergency shelters They found 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 photographsAuthorities 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 businessesHeavy seasonal rain from about September to March frequently causes flooding and landslides in IndonesiaSuharyanto the head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency told a news conference late Wednesday that the threat of flooding in Bali is overThe floods in Bali swept away people and about 474 kiosks and small shophouses in art and public markets killing at least six residents and submerging hundreds of houses and buildings forcing more than 800 residents to flee to temporary government shelters said Suharyanto who goes by a single name like many IndonesiansHe said up to 600 rescue workers police and soldiers have been deployed since Wednesday to search for six people reportedly still missing in Bali as the floods have also damaged roads bridges and other infrastructuresScores 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 treesRescuers were focused on finding four people including two toddlers who were swept away by floods along with 35 houses said local police chief Dewa Putu Suariawan Six other villagers were pulled out of floodwaters or mud on WednesdayLocal Disaster Mitigation Agency head Agustinus Pone said the severe weather and rugged terrain that hampered rescue efforts were exacerbated by the disruption of electricity clean water and telecommunications networks in 18 villages by flash floodsHe said that flooding and landslides in the area also destroyed two bridges two government offices a plantation rice fields and killed livestockThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever