Torrential rainfall overwhelmed a dam, forcing officials to open the floodgates.This resulted in a flash flood that took many Makassar residents by surprise. Landslides were also reported in the region.
The death toll in Indonesia rose to 59 Friday as more bodies were recovered from receding waters in the wake of torrential rain that brought landslides and flash flooding from an overwhelmed dam.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said 45 deaths are a result of flooding, 14 from landslides, the Associated Press reports.
Among the dead are two infants and a man who reportedly died from electrocution.
At least 25 people were missing as of Friday and 47 others are hospitalized.
"I've — this is the worst," Syamsibar, head of South Sulawesi's disaster mitigation agency, told AFP news agency on Friday.
Many of the deaths occurred after officials opened floodgates Tuesday afternoon when heavy rainfall overwhelmed the Bili Bili dam, an earthen embankment on the Jeneberang River about 20 miles east of Makassar in the Gowa district.
The flash flood that resulted quickly rose to a height of more than 5 feet in the Makassar suburb of Katimbang, taking many of the residents by surprise.
"Torrential rain caused a dam to be overwhelmed by water, forcing us to open it to prevent a greater danger. This is what caused flooding in some areas," Adnan Purichta Ichsann, chief of the Gowa district, said.
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Katimbang resident Jihadul Arifin told local newspaper Antara News the flash flood was " in the previous years."
"The flood waters suddenly came very high," he said.
According to weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce, more than half a foot of rain fell in the area within a 24-hour period ending Tuesday.
By Thursday, water levels at the Bili Bili dam had dropped by about 6.6 feet.
The flooding and landslides affected nine districts, inundated more than 6,500 and forced more than 3,000 people from their homes, the AP reports.
Several bridges were also damaged by the flooding and power was cut off in affected areas.