Cyclone-related deaths in Indonesia reaches 167

Jakarta: The death toll from the floods and landslides triggered by tropical cyclone Seroja in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province has increased to 167 with 45 still missing, the National Disaster Management Agency said.

The agency's head Doni Monardo said 165 dead victims were reported in East Nusa Tenggara province and two others were in West Nusa Tenggara, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Besides, 45 people are still under search, eight were severely injured and 148 were slightly wounded," Monardo told a virtual press conference late Friday.

He said that 17,834 people were displaced, 160 public facilities affected and three villages are still isolated.

In East Nusa Tenggara, 2,786 houses were severely devastated, 213 moderately destroyed and 6,185 slightly damaged, while in West Nusa Tenggara, 380 houses were severely hit, 2,176 moderately destroyed, and 2,777 slightly damaged.

Monardo said that the Health Ministry has sent a number of medical workers including orthopedists and anaesthetists to the affected areas.

Authorities have also deployed teams to handle trauma healing, especially in the worst-hit areas such as Adonara, Lembata, and Alor.

Seroja is the 10th tropical cyclone hitting Indonesia since 2008 but had the worst impact as it made landfall.

Currently, Seroja has moved away from Indonesia's territory, but the impact would still be felt in a number of provinces in the southern part of the country for the next few days.