JAKARTA (Xinhua): Fifteen villagers have been confirmed dead after flash floods struck the remote Nduga Regency of Indonesia's eastern Highland Papua province last week, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Wednesday.
"As many as 15 people have been found dead, while eight others are still being searched for," said Abdul Muhari, head of BNPB's Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre.
He said the floods were triggered by heavy rainfall in upstream areas and warned of continued extreme weather risks in the province.
"Residents, especially those living along river basins, are advised to move to safer locations if heavy rain persists for more than an hour," he added.
Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency has forecast the peak rainy season to begin in December and last through January.
The South-East Asian country frequently experiences hydrometeorological disasters during the monsoon period. - Xinhua
