Dozens dead as torrential rain leads to floods and landslides in Indonesia and East Timor

Flash floods unleashed by torrential rains have killed 23 people on Indonesia’s island of Flores, with five others reported missing, while the neighbouring nation of East Timor has reported eight deaths.

At least 49 families were hit on Flores in the east of Indonesia’s sprawling archipelago early on Sunday, said Raditya Jati, a spokesman for disaster management agency BNPB.

“Dozens of houses were buried in mud in Lamanele village … residents’ houses [were] washed away…