At least 21 dead and dozens missing after Indonesia landslides | NOW

At least 21 people have died and 62 are missing after mudslides hit their villages on the Indonesian island of Lembata, an official reported Monday.

Volcanic debris from Lewatolo volcano flooded homes on Sunday after heavy rains, said Thomas Ola, the head of the Lembata district in East Nusa Tenggara province. It was announced on Sunday that dozens of people had died from flooding on the nearby island of Flores.

“Fourteen villages are still completely isolated, with inaccessible roads,” said Ola. He expects the death toll to likely increase as more information is gathered in the affected areas. Lewatolo volcano has been rumbling for months, at the end of last year thousands of people were evacuated as a precaution.

It was previously known that elsewhere in East Nusa Tenggara at least 44 people died due to severe weather. Heavy rainfall led to flooding and landslides on the island of Flores. “Dozens of houses in the village of Lamanele became buried in mud,” the disaster response service reported on Sunday. A bridge collapsed on the nearby island of Adonara.

East Timor has also been hit by the storm. At least 16 people died there, according to authorities.

Meteorologists expect that some parts of Indonesia will also experience a lot of rain, strong winds and high waves in the coming week.

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