Rescuers searched for survivors in rivers and the rubble of devastated villages on Thursday after flash floods struck two provinces in Indonesia, including the tourist island of Bali.
Torrential rain that began on Monday caused flooding and landslides on Bali and in East Nusa Tenggara province, killing at least 20 people with six more missing.
Rain caused rivers to burst their banks and tear through nine cities and districts in Bali, while mud and rocks from dozens of landslides tumbled on to mountainside villages.
Rising rivers submerged at least 120 neighbourhoods, said Abdul Muhari, a National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman.
Rescuers on Thursday retrieved five more bodies as the floods receded in Bali, Mr Muhari said, bringing the death toll on the island to 14. Two residents were still missing.
As river levels returned to normal, people in Denpasar, Bali's capital, were living in emergency shelters. They found streets covered in mud and cars lying upside down or piled up in narrow alleys. Pavements were strewn with sandals, cooking pots and old photographs.
Authorities began clearing away mud and removing piles of wet rubbish from the streets, and electricity was restored to tens of thousands of residences and businesses.
Heavy seasonal rain from about September to March frequently causes flooding and landslides in Indonesia.
Suharyanto, the head of Indonesia's disaster agency, told a press conference late on Wednesday that the threat of flooding in Bali was over.
Meanwhile, scores of rescuers were searching through a river around the remote village of Mauponggo in East Nusa Tenggara, where floods left mud, rocks and trees.
Rescuers were focused on finding four people, including two toddlers, who were swept away along with 35 houses, local police chief Dewa Putu Suariawan said. Six other villagers were pulled out of floodwaters or mud on Wednesday.
Severe weather and rugged terrain have hampered rescue efforts and disrupted power, clean water and telecoms networks in 18 villages.
Flooding and landslides in the area also destroyed two bridges, two government offices, a plantation, rice fields, and killed livestock.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
