Six Dead as Flash Floods Devastate Popular Tourist Destination in Bali
Bali, Indonesia — At least six people have lost their lives after sudden flash floods swept through the Indonesian island of Bali, a renowned tourist hotspot. The extreme weather event, triggered by torrential rains beginning late Tuesday, also caused widespread disruption by inundating major roads and limiting access to the island’s international airport near Denpasar.
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Abdul Muhari, flooding affected four districts across Bali, forcing the evacuation of 85 residents. The flooding was particularly severe in the capital city, Denpasar, where continuous heavy rains from Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning caused structural damage, including the collapse of two buildings. The floods rendered many roads impassable, with only trucks able to navigate the routes to and from the airport, severely impacting the region’s busy travel activities.
BNPB chief Suharyanto provided a breakdown of the fatalities: two deaths occurred in Bali’s Jembrana district, while four people died on the nearby island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara Province. The floods on Flores also cut road access and disrupted phone services in 18 villages. Additionally, four people remain missing in the Nagekeo district on Flores. While floodwaters have begun to recede there, parts of Bali remain submerged as rescue and recovery operations continue.
Approximately 200 emergency responders have been deployed to assist affected residents, according to I Nyoman Sidakarya, head of Bali’s search and rescue agency. Rescue teams are navigating ongoing challenges posed by the flooding and damaged infrastructure to reach those stranded or displaced.
The floods come ahead of the typical monsoon season in Indonesia, which usually occurs between November and April. However, climate change has increasingly disrupted traditional weather patterns, intensifying storms, causing heavier and more erratic rainfall, and making flash floods and landslides more severe and frequent in the region.
This event follows a series of extreme weather incidents in Indonesia earlier this year. In March, floods and landslides in Java claimed three lives and left five others missing, affecting dozens of towns. In January, Central Java experienced floods and landslides that resulted in at least 25 fatalities.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely, urging residents and visitors to remain cautious as cleanup and restoration efforts proceed. The Indonesian government has also highlighted the need for improved disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience to cope with the increasing impact of climate-related events in the future.
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