More than 90 people have died and dozens more remain missing in the floods and landslides in Indonesia and East Timor.
Floods and flash floods caused by torrential rains from Cyclone Seroja have wreaked havoc in areas between Flores, Indonesia and East Timor, prompting thousands to seek shelter in reception centers.
This deluge overflowed water reservoirs and flooded thousands of homes, while rescuers struggled to provide assistance to the victims.
"There are 66 dead, but this toll continues to evolve, especially as 42 people are still missing," said MetroTV Raditya Djati, spokesperson for the Indonesian disaster management agency.
At least 21 people have also been killed in East Timor, according to a Timorese official.
Most of the deaths took place in Dili, the capital.
In the east of the Indonesian island of Flores, many houses, roads and bridges were covered with mud, making it difficult for rescuers trying to reach the worst affected areas.
Indonezja.
Ponad 50 osób zginęło w wyniku osunięć ziemi i powodzi w Indonezji.
Zaginęło około 40. Dziesiątki budynków mieszkalnych i biurowych zostało zniszczonych przez Cyklon Seroja i towarzyszące mu powodzie.
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In Lembata, an island located halfway between Flores and Timor, road access was cut off, forcing the authorities to deploy construction machinery to reopen the roads.
Some villages located on heights were partly swept towards the coast in landslides.
"They need medicine, food, blankets"
"The evacuees are scattered all over the place, there are hundreds of them in all the districts, but many people also stayed at home," said Alfons Hada Bethan, head of the disaster management agency of Flores Oriental.
"They need medicine, food, blankets."
The more so as the precipitations always sustained also complicate the situation.
"It is believed that many people are still buried, but it is not known how many," he added.
Indonezja.
Wideo z zatonięcia KMP Jatra 1 w porcie Bolok, Kupang, dziś w poniedziałek (05.04.2021) po zniszczeniach spowodowanych przez Cyklon Seroja.
Statek wszedł do użytku 10.03.2021 z nadzieją, że będzie mógł obsługiwać trasę Kupang-Rote-Larantuka-Kalabahi.
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President Joko Widodo expressed his “condolences.
"" I measure the immense sorrow of our brothers and sisters after this catastrophe ", he said in a speech to the Nation.
Turut Berdukacita Untuk NTT dan NTB yang mengalami musibah banjir bandang, sehingga banyak korban yg belum ditemukan.
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Landslides and flash floods are common in the Indonesian archipelago, especially during the rainy season.
But conservationists point out that deforestation favors these disasters.
In January, 40 Indonesians were killed in flooding in the city of Sumedang, in West Java.
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The national disaster management agency estimates that 125 million Indonesians, or about half of the archipelago's population, live in areas at risk of landslides.
