Death toll from Indonesia's flash floods, landslides rises to 79

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The death toll from the flash floods and landslides in the Jayapura district of Indonesia's Papua province has climbed to 79, with 74 others injured and 43 people still missing, Xinhua reported citing a local official.

Meanwhile, rescuers continue to search for and rescue survivors, the district's search-and-rescue office spokesperson Yudi Yanto said.

The floods were triggered by torrential rain that lashed the Sentani area near Jayapura in Indonesia's Papua Province on Saturday.

"Victims of flash floods in Sentani area continue to grow as the evacuation is still ongoing," said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesperson for the country's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), on Sunday via Twitter.

A small plane on an airstrip is surrounded by floodwaters in Sentani, near the provincial capital of Jayapura, triggered by torrential rain in eastern Indonesia, March 17, 2019. / VCG Photo

Local authorities have dispatched search-and-rescue teams to the affected area, while the deceased have been sent to nearby hospitals to confirm their identities.

Landslides and flooding are common in Indonesia, especially during the monsoon season which usually falls between October and April.

(Top image: Local residents gather at a temporary shelter in Sentani, near the provincial capital of Jayapura, as floodwaters triggered by torrential rain inundated the area in Indonesia, March 17, 2019. / VCG Photo)

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