A catastrophic flash flood event has struck Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province, resulting in significant casualties and widespread destruction. According to official statements released Tuesday, at least sixteen fatalities have been confirmed following torrential monsoon rains that overwhelmed river systems on Siau Island.
The disaster unfolded early Monday when days of sustained rainfall caused riverbanks to burst throughout the Siau Tagulandang Biaro District. The resulting torrents carried massive volumes of water mixed with mud, rocks, and debris that swept through residential areas without warning. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency, described how the violent flooding submerged entire villages and carried away numerous inhabitants.
Emergency response teams comprising rescue personnel, military units, and police have been deployed to four severely affected villages on Siau Island, located approximately 130 kilometers from Sulawesi’s northern coast. Recovery efforts have faced substantial challenges due to damaged infrastructure and compromised communication networks in the hardest-hit zones.
The destructive forces washed away at least seven homes completely while causing structural damage to over 140 additional residences. The scale of displacement has been considerable, with more than 680 residents forced to evacuate to temporary shelters established in churches and public buildings.
As weather conditions improved Tuesday and floodwaters began receding, search and rescue operations intensified. Nuriadian Gumeleng, spokesman for North Sulawesi’s search and rescue office, confirmed the recovery of sixteen victims while teams continue searching for three missing individuals in neighborhoods that experienced total inundation.
Local authorities have declared a 14-day emergency response period to accelerate aid delivery, evacuation procedures, and infrastructure repairs. Sitaro District Chief Chyntia Ingrid Kalangit warned residents to maintain vigilance against potential secondary disasters, noting that additional rainfall could trigger further flooding or landslides. The provincial government has dispatched heavy equipment and relief supplies to assist recovery operations.
This tragic event occurs against the backdrop of earlier catastrophic flooding that struck Sumatra Island in December, which claimed 1,178 lives across 52 cities and regencies according to the National Disaster Management Agency’s latest figures.