(ANSA) - GIACARTA, APRIL 04 - At least 44 people died and nine more were injured following sudden floods due to heavy rains that hit the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia today: the spokesman for the national agency said for disaster management, Raditya Jati, hinting that the death toll could increase further.
"There are 44 dead and nine injured" in the eastern part of the island and "many ... are still under the mud," the spokesman said.
Torrential rains caused flooding in several areas of the island around one in the morning, a few hours before the beginning of the Easter celebrations.
The spokesman explained that dozens of houses have been invaded by mud and bridges and roads are unusable in the eastern part of the island.
Floressi could now only reach by sea, from the nearby island of Adonara, but so far "the rainfall and heavy swells have not allowed the crossing", continued Jati.
(HANDLE).