Flash flood on Indonesia’s eastern Ternate Island leaves 11 dead

Rescuers and villagers search for missing people following a flash flood that killed a number of people in Rua, Ternate Island, Indonesia, Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Rifki Anwar)

TERNATE ISLAND, Indonesia — A flash flood following torrential rains on Indonesia’s eastern Ternate Island left 11 people dead on Sunday.

Search and rescue teams working with local residents recovered 10 bodies in Rua village in North Maluku province. The team was working to retrieve one more body, according to Bram Madya Temara, an official from the island’s search and rescue agency.

The flash flood swept away residential areas and cut off the main road and access to Rua. Dozens of houses and buildings were buried in mud.

Heavy rains cause frequent landslides and flash floods in Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near floodplains.