Bali floods kill 14, search continues for two missing

The death toll from this week’s floods on the Indonesian island of Bali has risen to 14 people from nine, a government official said on Thursday (Sep 11), though the rain has stopped and water levels are receding in most areas.

Two people are missing in the tourist hub’s capital of Denpasar, and 125 rescuers have been deployed in the search for them, disaster mitigation agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said. 

He added that more than 500 people have been evacuated to schools and mosques.

Torrential rains on Tuesday and Wednesday caused floods in Denpasar and six of Bali’s eight regions, blocking major roads, including access to the island’s international airport. There were also landslides in some areas.

Most of the deaths occurred when people were swept away after rivers burst their banks, Abdul said.

No foreigners were among the casualties, the agency said. 

There were no reports of flight cancellations on Thursday.

In response to CNA’s queries, Budget airline Scoot on Thursday said its flights to and from Bali are currently operating as scheduled.

However, it said that customers affected by the floods on the island may contact Scoot for further assistance. 

For bookings made through travel agents or partner airlines, the customers are advised to contact their travel agent or the purchasing airline directly for assistance.

“The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. 

“We will continue to closely monitor the situation in Bali and adjust our flights, where necessary,” an airline spokesperson said.

Rescuers are still pumping water out of several flooded buildings and around 500 military personnel have been deployed to clear streets of mud, debris and rocks.

“The peak of the rain has passed and generally the waters have receded. Now, we are focusing on clearing mud from the streets,” Abdul said.

Heavy rain also caused flooding in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara where four people were killed.

Source: CNA 

- Agencies