Flash flood kills 16 in Indonesia

JAKARTA - A flash flood swept through two villages in the eastern Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara, killing at least 16 people and destroying more than 180 homes, media reports said Thursday.

Hours of torrential rain caused rivers in Timor to burst their banks, washing away as many as 182 homes in two villages of the Toianas sub-district in the early hours of Wednesday, VIVAnews online news portal reported.

A team of paramedics and aid assistance had been sent to the flood-hit areas, South Central Timor district chief Paulus Mella said.

Floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, which is densely populated and prone to frequent heavy rains. Environmentalists have warned that deforestation contributed to the problem.