Indonesia flooding toll rises to 35

Jakarta, June 19: The death toll from flooding and landslides in Central Java province of Indonesia has risen to 35 with 25 missing and 14 injured, the disaster agency said on Sunday. Search for the missing and evacuation of the affected people was still going on, Xinhua news agency quoted Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the tiol disaster magement agency, as saying. At least five machinery equipment and a drone were deployed to help the search and rescue operation. The districts of Purworejo, Banjarnegara and Kebumen were the hardest hit.

Heavy downpour triggered landslides and rivers overflowed their banks, submerging 16 districts and a city in the province, the spokesman said. Landslides have also blocked roads that hampered access to the affected areas. Indonesia is frequently hit by floods and landslides during heavy downpour. (IANS)