Indonesia cyclone death toll more than doubles to 41

Agence France-Presse Jakarta Post 6 Dec 17;

A tropical cyclone that pounded Indonesia's main island of Java has killed 41 people, the country's disaster agency said Wednesday, more than double the initial toll, with tens of thousands displaced by severe flooding and landslides.

Among the victims of Cyclone Cempaka were 25 people killed by a single landslide in East Java last week, the agency said.

The initial cyclone death toll was 19. Some 28,000 people have been displaced by the storm, which hit Indonesia's most populous island last week.

"Almost five thousand homes have been damaged and more than three thousand others were inundated by flooding," said agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

The destruction from the cyclone came as the rumbling Mount Agung volcano on the neighboring resort island of Bali threatened to erupt, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Cempaka has moved away from Indonesia, but Nugroho warned that more flooding and landslides still could happen. Indonesia is prone to natural disasters and is often hit by floods and landslides.

A landslide on Bali in February killed 12 people, including three children. In September last year, almost 30 people died in devastating floods and landslides in Garut, West Java.

Cyclone Cempaka kills at least 19 in Indonesia
Channel NewsAsia 29 Nov 17;

JAKARTA: A tropical cyclone which hit Indonesia's main island of Java has triggered severe flooding and landslides which left 19 dead, an official said on Wednesday (Nov 29).

Landslides claimed 15 lives in east and central Java, while four others perished in floods unleashed by Cyclone Cempaka.

"Thousands of homes, hectares of agricultural land and public facilities are also flooded," said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia's disaster agency.

The destruction from the cyclone comes as the rumbling Mount Agung volcano on the neighbouring resort island of Bali threatens to erupt, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Cempaka is expected to move away from Indonesia later Thursday, but more flooding and landslides could follow in its wake, the agency said, adding that it urgently needs blankets, clothes and inflatable boats.

Indonesia is prone to natural disasters and is often hit by floods and landslides.

A landslide on Bali in February killed 12 people, including three children. In September last year, almost 30 people died in devastating floods and landslides in Garut, West Java.
Source: AFP/ec