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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Jacob Jarvis

Indonesia flash floods: Three children among 50 killed by horror floods and mudslides in Papua

Three children are among at least 50 people killed by horrific floods and mudslides in Indonesia.

There are also 59 people injured after the disaster in Papua province's Jayapura district submerged hundreds of houses water and mud, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

A spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said the destruction saw roads and bridges ripped apart which hampered rescue efforts.

He said 50 bodies had been pulled from the mud and wreckage of crumpled homes by Sunday and many of those in hospital had broken bones and head wounds.

A helicopter shifted by the floods (REUTERS)

It is expected the number of dead will rise following the fatal flash floods, which began on Saturday.

Among the horror, Papua military spokesman Col. Muhammad rescuers managed to save two injured infants who had been trapped for more than six hours, whose parents had been swept away and died.

Haerul Lee, the head of Jayapura health office, said some medical facilities had been hit by power outages, adding: "We can't handle it alone.

"We are overwhelmed by too many injuries."

Papua's provincial administration has declared a two-week emergency to seek assistance from the central government.

The worst hit area was Sentani subdistrict, where a landslide early on Sunday was followed by a river that burst its banks, said the local disaster mitigation agency head Martono.

Martono, who goes by a single name, said rescuers have been evacuating more than 4,000 to temporary shelters.

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