Flash floods kill 24 in Indonesia, thousands of homes damaged

By Reuters/Kanupriya Kapoor June 19, 2016 | 03:17 am PT

Indonesian soldiers search for landslide victims at Caok village in Purworejo. Photo by Hendra Nurdiyansyah

Flash floods and landslides killed 24 people in Indonesia's Central Java province, officials said on Sunday, forcing residents to evacuate to safer areas as torrential rains damaged thousands of homes.

Rescue teams searched for 26 others who remained missing after the region, among the most densely populated parts of the country, saw heavy rainfall overnight.

"Heavy rain has caused floods and landslides in 16 regencies in Central Java," Sutopo Nugroho, spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency, said in a statement.

"Rescue teams from the military, police, NGOs and volunteers, are contributing to the handling of the emergency and the search continues for those still missing," he added.

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