14 people died in floods and landslides on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, officials said Saturday.
Local rescue chief Mexianus Bekabel said torrential rains since Thursday caused the landslide in Luvu district in South Sulawesi province.
Flooding of up to 3 meters (10 ft) has affected 13 sub-districts as the area is covered with water and mud. More than 1,000 homes were affected, 42 of which were swept off their foundations.
A search and rescue team worked to evacuate residents using rubber boats and other vehicles. National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said Saturday that more than 100 residents had been evacuated to mosques or relatives’ homes outside the affected area.
Seasonal rains frequently cause landslides and floods in Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or fertile floodplains.
Torrential rains in April caused landslides in the Tana Toraja district of South Sulawesi province, killing 20 people.