Indonesia: At least 44 dead from floods and landslides on Flores Island

At least 44 people have been killed today in floods and landslides in eastern Flores. Indonesia, became known by the rescue services, who express fears for a heavier account.

“There are 44 dead and nine injured” in the eastern part of the island of Flores and “many (…) are still in the mud,” Raditia Ghatti, a spokeswoman for the National Disaster Management Agency, told AFP.

Hours earlier, he said 23 people had been killed, nine injured and two missing.

The torrential rains caused sweeping floods in many districts of Flores Island, where the majority of the inhabitants are Catholics, today around 0100 local time, a few hours before the beginning of the celebrations of the Catholic Easter.

Dozens of houses were buried under the mud as bridges and roads were destroyed.

Bad weather is expected to last throughout the week in this area.

At the same time, floods caused by heavy rains hit the city of Bima, in the neighboring province of Nusa Tenggara Barat, killing at least two people.

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