5 dead in road accident due to heavy rain in Indonesia

heavy rain in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A car crashed into a river due to severe weather conditions on Thursday in Indonesia's South Sulawesi's Pangkep Regency, killing five people.

The car carrying six people was running through heavy rain at 05:15 local time from north to south, according to Pangkep police officer Ida Ayu Suastini, adding that then the car plunged into a three-meter deep river after hitting a tree on the left side of the road.

"One survivor is still receiving care at Pangkep Hospital," told Suastini.

All five of the victims, including the driver and a three-year-old child, have been evacuated.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident, but they believe it was caused by bad weather.

Indonesia has been facing extreme weather of heavy rains and strong winds since December, which led to a series of hydrometeorological disasters like floods and landslides.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the peak of extreme weather will happen until February.