Death Toll From Indonesia Floods and Landslides Climbs to 68

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JAKARTA, Indonesia — At least 68 people have died on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and nearly 7,000 have taken refuge in emergency shelters after floods, landslides and a tornado battered the region last week, the authorities said on Sunday.

Search-and-rescue teams in the province of Southern Sulawesi were still looking for seven missing people, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster management agency, and 47 people were injured as heavy rains caused a dam to overflow.

More than 5,000 homes have been submerged, thousands of acres of rice paddies have been destroyed, and scores of bridges, schools and places of worship have been damaged, he said in a statement. Some of those who took refuge in shelters started to return to their homes as floodwaters receded, but heavy equipment will be needed to clear layers of mud on roads and in houses, he said.

Others have chosen to remain in the shelters, Mr. Nugroho said, adding that there was an urgent need in the area for food, blankets and medical services.



Source : Nytimes