Floods, landslides kill dozens in Indonesia and East Timor

JAKARTA: Flash floods unleashed by torrential heavy rains early on Sunday killed 23 people on Indonesia's island of Flores, injuring nine while five went missing, as the tiny neighbouring nation of East Timor reported eight deaths.

At least 49 families were hit on Flores in the east of Indonesia's sprawling archipelago, said Raditya Jati, a spokesman for disaster management agency BNPB. "Dozens of houses were buried in mud in Lamanele village... residents' houses (were) washed away by the flood," Raditya said in a statement, referring to the eastern part of the island.