Floodwaters Recede in Bali After Deadly Floods Claim 18 Lives, Two Still Missing
Denpasar/Jakarta, Indonesia — As floodwaters begin to recede on Indonesia’s renowned resort island of Bali, officials confirm that at least 18 people have lost their lives in this week’s devastating floods, with two individuals still reported missing. The deadly floods struck following relentless torrential rains over Tuesday and Wednesday, severely impacting Denpasar, the island’s capital, and six of Bali’s eight regions.
The sudden and heavy downpours led to rivers breaching their banks, sweeping away residents and causing widespread destruction. In addition to the flooding, landslides were reported in several areas, further complicating rescue and recovery efforts. Major roads were blocked across the island, restricting movement and disrupting access to Bali’s international airport, a crucial gateway for millions of tourists annually.
Indonesia’s disaster management agency provided the latest casualty update, raising the death toll from the initially reported 16 to 18. Search and rescue operations remain ongoing as authorities continue to look for the two missing persons presumed to be caught in the floodwaters.
Concerns have been raised regarding Bali’s urban planning and infrastructure readiness in the face of natural disasters. I Nyoman Gede Maha Putra, an expert in architecture and urban planning from Warmadewa University in Denpasar, highlighted deficiencies in the island’s drainage systems. “The city planning does not consider disasters,” he told Reuters. “All of the infrastructure construction is geared toward making Bali more attractive to tourists and investors,” he explained, suggesting that the rapid development has overlooked essential disaster mitigation measures.
However, Bali’s Governor, I Wayan Koster, countered these claims in local media reports, stating that changes in land use were not responsible for the recent flooding in Denpasar. At this time, the island’s regional development planning body has not issued a formal comment regarding the flood’s causes.
Tourism remains the cornerstone of Bali’s economy, with the island welcoming more than 6.3 million international visitors last year, a figure that surpasses pre-pandemic arrivals recorded in 2019. Bali accounts for over 40% of Indonesia’s total tourist inflow, underscoring the importance of the sector to both the local and national economy.
As relief efforts continue and waters slowly withdraw, the island faces considerable recovery challenges, including infrastructure repair and support for affected communities. The tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the vulnerability of rapidly developing tourist destinations to extreme weather events, emphasizing the need for improved disaster-resilient urban planning on Bali.
Reporting by Sultan Anshori in Denpasar and Stanley Widianto in Jakarta; Editing by Tom Hogue and Alexandra Hudson
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