Tue Jan 21 08:09:06 UTC 2025: **Headline: Flash Floods and Landslides Kill 17 in Indonesia’s Central Java**
**Jakarta, Indonesia –** At least 17 people are dead and eight missing after flash floods and landslides devastated villages in Central Java, Indonesia, on Monday. Torrential rains caused rivers to overflow, sweeping away villagers and damaging infrastructure. The hardest-hit area was Petungkriyono, where rescuers recovered 17 bodies. Eleven injured survivors were taken to hospitals.
Rescue efforts were hampered by bad weather, mudslides, and difficult terrain. Rescuers, using heavy machinery and hand tools, searched through rubble for survivors. The disaster destroyed two main bridges and at least two houses were buried by a landslide. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesperson, Abdul Muhari, stated that the flash floods also swept away vehicles.
This is the latest in a series of deadly weather events to hit Indonesia in recent months. Seasonal rains, common from October to March, frequently cause flooding and landslides across the archipelago. Last month, a similar event in West Java killed 12, while another in November in North Sumatra resulted in 20 deaths. The Indonesian archipelago’s geography, with millions living in mountainous areas and near floodplains, makes it particularly vulnerable to such disasters.
First Piper 