The agency chief said that the heavy rains are expected to continue and increase till February.
At least two people were killed and eight others missing in flash floods triggered by torrential rains on Indonesia’s main island of Java, officials said on November 5.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said rivers on the slopes of Mount Arjuno swept their banks on November 4 and their effluents filled five settlements in Kota Batu, a city in East Java province. It said 15 people were washed away and five were later rescued.
The agency’s head, Ganipe Varasito, said heavy rains are expected to continue and increase until February, partly due to La Nia weather patterns.
The agency’s acting spokesman, Abdul Muhari, said in a statement that rescue teams retrieved one body near the Brantas river basin in late November 4 and another body early on November 5. He said that they are still searching for the 8 missing people.
Roads covered with thick mud and debris disrupted the relief efforts as power was disrupted.
Photos and videos released by the agency showed a damaged bridge, and cars and houses covered with thick mud.
Officials were still collecting information about damage and potential casualties, Mr Varasito said.
Seasonal rains often cause floods and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile floodplains.
.