"Our latest data from local officials is that eight bodies have been found and 13 people went missing," he told AFP, adding that at least 16 houses were swept away. Spokesman for the national disaster management centre, Priyadi Kardono, said that rescuers were struggling to get to the villages.
"It's hard to reach the affected area... roads are cut off and the communication access is so difficult," he told AFP. He said the floods had displaced 2,000 people who were now sheltering in local administration office buildings. Floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, which is densely populated and prone to frequent heavy rain.