Bali hit by worst floods in decades: 14 dead, hundreds evacuated

A massive natural disaster has struck the Indonesian island of Bali. Heavy rains have caused the worst flooding in a decade, killing at least 14 people. The disaster has caused rivers to overflow their banks, triggered landslides and destroyed infrastructure, and forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes.

This is reported by the BBC .

Eight people were reported dead in the island’s capital, Denpasar, three more in the Gianyar district, two in Jembrana in the southwest, where they were electrocuted and swept away, and one person died in Badung district. Two people are missing.

The disaster damaged roads and bridges, and two houses collapsed in Denpasar. Rescue services are working in extremely difficult conditions – water has blocked roads, and even trucks have difficulty moving through flooded areas. According to the head of the local rescue service, Nyoman Sidakarya, “floods are everywhere, and access to many areas is practically impossible.”

According to meteorologists, Bali received more than 385 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours. At least 85 people were evacuated to temporary shelters due to the storm. Popular tourist areas were also badly hit, with hotels and businesses facing widespread disruptions. Authorities said the situation was exacerbated by problems with garbage disposal and inadequate drainage systems that could not handle the load.

The Bali provincial government has declared a week-long state of emergency. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and instructed all responsible agencies to act as quickly as possible and provide targeted assistance to the victims.

Bali remains under threat from severe weather conditions, although forecasters predict a gradual decrease in rainfall intensity. Meanwhile, on the neighboring island of East Nusa Tenggara, floods also claimed three lives, left four missing and injured two others.

Climate change is exacerbating disaster risks in Indonesia, making landslides and flash floods increasingly frequent during the rainy season, according to local officials.

Earlier, on July 20, South Korea was hit by a large-scale natural disaster – heavy rains and landslides , which have been ongoing for four days, have killed 17 people. Another 11 are missing. The southern province of Sancheon was the hardest hit. Almost 13,500 people were forced to evacuate to temporary shelters.

As a reminder, the powerful Typhoon Wifa hit Hong Kong on July 20 , causing widespread destruction, transport collapse and casualties. Within hours, the storm left hundreds of fallen trees, destroyed buildings and cancelled flights, and the storm warning level reached the maximum — 10 points.

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