At least 182 people have been killed, with dozens missing and thousands rendered homeless after tropical cyclone Seroja battered Indonesia and neighboring East Timor, authorities said.
Rescue efforts for those trapped from flash floods and landslides continued as two Indonesian navy ships packed with aid reached on Thursday hard-hit Lembata and Adonara island.
The navy vessels are packed with food, including rice and noodles, as well as blankets and other materials for some of the region’s more than 20,000 evacuees.
A cargo plane left Jakarta for the disaster-struck region with about 100,000 face masks, virus test kits, as well as prepared food and blankets for survivors, Indonesia’s disaster agency said.
The death toll stands at 140 in East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara provinces, according to Indonesia’s disaster management agency.
At least 61 others are missing in flash floods.
Heavy rain that continued for nine hours caused dams in four sub-districts to overflow, inundating houses and rice fields.
The possibility of extreme weather conditions will remain until at least April 9, according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency.
In East Timor, flash floods and landslides have killed at least 42 people and displaced more than 10,000, mostly in the capital of Dili, according to a new provisional Civil Protection balance.
Fifteen bodies have yet to be located.
In Dili, there were 22 dead, with 20 fatalities in other municipalities.
Authorities in both countries were also battling to avoid COVID-19 outbreaks in crammed evacuation shelters.
