Floodwaters Recede in Bali After Deadly Floods Claim 18 Lives; Two Still Missing
Denpasar, Indonesia – September 12, 2025 — Floodwaters began receding across Bali on Friday following a severe flooding event that tragically claimed at least 18 lives and left two individuals still missing. The disaster, triggered by intense torrential rains earlier this week, disrupted normal life across the island’s capital and six of its eight regions.
The floods, which primarily struck Denpasar and surrounding areas on Tuesday and Wednesday, were caused by fast-rising rivers bursting their banks. In addition to widespread flooding, several landslides were reported, further complicating rescue efforts and infrastructure damage assessments. Major roads were submerged and access to Bali’s international airport was temporarily blocked, adding to the challenges faced by emergency responders.
Indonesia’s disaster management agency confirmed on Friday that the death toll had risen from an earlier count of 16 to 18. Search operations continue for two people who remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of the floods.
Experts have pointed to rapid development on the island as a factor exacerbating the flooding’s impact. I Nyoman Gede Maha Putra, an architecture and urban planning specialist at Warmadewa University in Denpasar, highlighted shortcomings in Bali’s city planning, noting that insufficient drainage infrastructure has failed to keep pace with new construction aimed primarily at attracting tourists and investors. “The city planning does not consider disasters,” Putra said. “All of the infrastructure construction is geared toward making Bali more attractive to tourists and investors.”
Despite these claims, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster was quoted by local media asserting that recent changes in land use were not responsible for the severe flooding in Denpasar this week. The regional development planning body for Bali has yet to publicly respond to inquiries regarding the concerns over urban development and flood risk.
Tourism represents Bali’s economic backbone, with the island receiving over 6.3 million international visitors last year, surpassing the pre-pandemic numbers from 2019, according to the Indonesian Statistics Bureau. Bali accounted for more than 40% of the country’s total tourist arrivals in 2024, underlining its importance as an international travel destination.
Authorities continue their efforts to assess the full scope of the damage and aid affected communities as waters recede and normalcy gradually returns to the flood-hit regions. The incident has renewed conversations on the need for improved infrastructure and better urban planning to mitigate the impact of future natural disasters on the island.
Reporting by Sultan Anshori and Stanley Widianto; editing by Tom Hogue and Alexandra Hudson
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