13 die in flash floods on Indonesia’s Java island

Rescuers say 13 people have died in flash floods that inundated five villages on Indonesia’s main Java island.

Torrential rain last week triggered flooding in the villages in the Central Java district of Magelang on Saturday. The chief of the local Disaster Management Agency, Edi Susanto, said the body of an 80-year-old man was retrieved on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 13. Two other villagers were injured.

About 1,500 rescuers, including soldiers, police and volunteers took part in the search operation.

Indonesia is prone to floods and landslides during seasonal rains. Many of the country’s 256 million people live in mountainous areas or on fertile, flood-prone plains near rivers.