JAKARTA, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Death toll from flash floods and landslides in Indonesia's West Papua province has climbed to 10, with 10 people still missing, as search efforts face severe challenges due to treacherous weather, debris-strewn terrain, and deep mud, a top rescuer said on Wednesday.
"We must be cautious of ongoing rains, which can trigger further flooding. The presence of scattered debris and muddy terrain is obstructing our search and rescue efforts," Yefri Sabaruddin, head of the provincial Search and Rescue Office, told Xinhua.
"Today, rescuers recovered one more body, bringing the total fatalities to 10," Sabaruddin said.
"Our current priority is locating the 10 missing individuals," he added.
Sabaruddin noted that one piece of heavy machinery had arrived at the scene, with another expected on Thursday to assist in the search operation.
He explained that heavy rains had triggered the flash floods and landslides in Gunung Arfak Regency on May 15, but extremely poor communication access delayed the relay of information to rescuers. ■
