Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province reels from a deadly flash flood that has killed 16 people and left three missing, the BNPB announced. The sudden disaster, fueled by intense rainfall, underscores the vulnerabilities during the archipelago’s wet season.
Around 2:30 a.m. Monday in Sitaro Islands Regency, rivers overflowed following prolonged heavy showers, triggering floods and landslides. Four districts bore the brunt, with 148 homes impacted—seven obliterated, 29 heavily damaged, and 112 lightly affected.
Flood levels dropped by Monday afternoon, yet power outages and communication blackouts persist, complicating relief work. Abdul Muhari of BNPB’s Data Center reported 22 injuries, with patients treated locally. Some 682 people are in temporary shelters, including 108 from 35 displaced families.
Additional losses include five houses washed away and severed roads between East and South East Siau sub-districts. With such events routine in rainy periods, authorities proclaimed a 14-day emergency from January 5-18, calling for public alertness as search teams navigate hazardous terrain for the missing.