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Flash floods have devastated Bali, Indonesia, claiming at least six lives and leaving several others missing. The disaster struck following continuous heavy rainfall between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, overwhelming the island's infrastructure and communities.
In Denpasar, the capital of Bali, torrential rains caused the collapse of two buildings along Sulawesi Road in West Denpasar. The foundations of these shophouses were eroded by the overflowing Badung River, leading to their sudden collapse.
Initial reports indicated six missing individuals; however, two were found alive and hospitalized, while four remain unaccounted for. The missing individuals were from the Taslim and New Centrum shophouses.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) confirmed that four people died in Denpasar due to building collapses. Additionally, two fatalities were reported in the Jembrana region, where 85 residents were evacuated as floodwaters inundated homes. In East Nusa Tenggara, four more deaths occurred due to similar flooding, with 18 villages affected and road and phone services disrupted.
Approximately 200 rescuers have been deployed across five affected cities, including Denpasar and Kuta, to assist residents and search for the missing. Rescue teams are using rubber dinghies to navigate chest-deep waters in low-lying neighborhoods.
Access to Bali's international airport near Denpasar is severely limited, with only trucks able to use the roads. Major thoroughfares have been inundated, causing complete gridlock and disrupting travel across the island.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) attributes the heavy rainfall to active equatorial Rossby Waves, which enhance rain cloud formation. While rainfall is expected to ease, the BMKG continues to monitor the situation closely.
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