JAKARTA, Oct 4 (NNN-ANTARA) – Four people were reported missing, with one of them feared dead, as floods and landslides damaged houses and a bridge in Indonesia’s western province of West Java on Saturday, according to disaster agency officials.
Heavy downpours caused a river to overflow, engulfing houses in the surrounding areas in the Cianjur district, said Kuswara Retana, a senior official of the local disaster management agency.
“A man drowned at a reservoir and confirmed dead, but his body is still missing. Three others were also reported missing after being swept away by the strong current,” he said.
The flooding caused damages to some 10 houses and a bridge, forcing residents to flee their homes and take shelter in a mosque and the neighbours’ two-storey houses, Retana said.
Foods, clothes and other humanitarian aids were badly needed there, he added.
Seni Wulandari, an official from the provincial search and rescue office, said, rescue workers were heading to the scene to search for victims and provide help for the affected people.
Heavy rains have also triggered landslides in three spots in the province, impacting the access to the affected areas and causing difficulties to disaster agency workers, Budi Budiman, head of the emergency unit of the provincial disaster management agency, said.
The Indonesian weather agency has warned of intensive rains in the months ahead.
