"We have deployed our personnel to help the search for flood victims in Jayapura district."Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - The death toll from a flash flood and landslide in Jayapura district and municipality in the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua reached 50 as of Sunday morning.
Of the total, 42 were killed in a flash flood in Sentani, Jayapura district, and seven were killed in a landslide in Ampera, Jayapura municipality, Chief of the Papua Provincial Police Insp. Gen. Martuani Sormin said on Sunday.
He said 38 of the 45 bodies of flood victims had been taken to Bhayangkara Police Hospital and five to Youwari Hospital for identification.
The identification was needed to ensure the identities of victims before their bodies were handed over to their families, he said.
He said the number of people killed in the flash flood sweeping through several areas in Jayapura district might increase as search for other bodies was still going on.
"We have deployed our personnel to help the search for flood victims in Jayapura district," said Sormin who had inspected flash flood-hit areas in Sentani.
The flash flood also caused damage to a helicopter and a light plane owned by Adventis missionaries airline company, he said.
Reporting by Evarukdijati, Suharto
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Translator: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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