Emergency officials in Indonesia say 89 people have now been confirmed dead after three days of flash floods and mudslides in the eastern province of Papua.
The worst-hit area is the district of Sentani, where torrential rains sent tons of rocks, mud and trees into a river Saturday, causing it to overflow and wash out scores of houses and roads.
At least 74 people are unaccounted for in the disaster, while at least 150 others suffered broken bones, cuts and other injuries.Between six and seven thousand people have been displaced and taken refuge in emergency shelters.
Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone nations on Earth.In addition to a heavy rainy season that triggers flash floods and mudslides, the Southeast Asian archipelago of 17,000 islands also sits on the so-called "Ring of Fire," a series of underground fault lines and volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean Basin, making earthquakes and volcanic eruptions common.
