JAKARTA – At least 15 people, primarily children, are reported missing and are feared dead after floods and landslides struck Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region following heavy rainfall, local authorities said on Monday.
Thirteen of the victims were children aged between eight and 17 years, police chief Alfredo Agustinus Rumbiak of the remote Nduga area told Reuters. The children had been returning home after playing volleyball and tried to cross a river when the floods struck. They initially sought refuge on large rocks, but the strong currents and falling rocks swept them away.
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Residents, police, military personnel, and the local disaster mitigation agency are actively searching for the victims. However, the mountainous terrain has made rescue efforts extremely difficult. Reaching the site requires either a helicopter or an eight-hour trek from the nearest town.
The rescue operation is further complicated because the area is a “red zone” in security terms. Papuan separatists have been seeking independence since 1969, and the location of the landslide is near the site where a separatist attack killed dozens of bridge workers in 2018. Authorities continue their search efforts amid the challenging conditions, hoping to locate any survivors.