JAKARTA: Over 14,000 people were forced to flee their homes as a result of flash floods and landslides in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi, the Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday, citing local authorities.
"The mud has submerged the villages by up to two meters high. Most of the bodies were recovered from the mud. Logs were also found on roads and many other spots, slowing the rescuers' efforts," Zaenal Asad, an official in charge of the search and rescue operation, told the news agency, adding that 359 rescuers had been deployed to the area.
Doni Monardo, the head of the National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure, in turn, noted that 67 people were missing and 51 others were injured. The news agency said that 36 people died due to the floods.
A road, nine bridges, 13 shrines, nine schools, eight office buildings, two public facilities and a market were damaged by the flash floods. People whose homes have been destroyed will be compensated, the media outlet noted.