Indonesia cyclone kills 19, most under landslide, on Java

Villagers walk in flood waters after heavy rain hit Hadiwarno village in Pacitan, Indonesia, on Nov 28, 2017. PHOTO: REUTERS/ANTARA FOTO

JAKARTA - A tropical cyclone killed 19 people on the Indonesian island of Java, officials said on Wednesday (Nov 29), with most of the victims caught under a landslide, Reuters has reported.

Video footage showed rivers overflowing and roads and villages submerged in brown water after the storm struck on Tuesday.

"Nineteen people have died, thousands of homes have been flooded and other damage has been caused," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the Disaster Mitigation Agency, said on Twitter.

Yogyakarta governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X has declared a state of emergency due to the floods, landslides, and high winds in the special region that is located in East Java.

The Adisutjipto Airport in Yogjakarta, and the Adi Soemarmo Airport in Solo have been closed due to the erratic weather.

Airport operator Angkasa Pura I said the closure of Adi Soemarmo Airport has no impact on passengers as there are no flights scheduled.

Additionally, Indonesian immigration authorities said they will extend visas for foreigners in Bali who were stranded but technically overstayed because flights were cancelled.

Flights around Indonesia have been disrupted due to the eruption of a volcano on the neighbouring holiday island of Bali to the east.

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