Death toll from Indonesia floods landslides climbs to 68

JAKARTA: At least 68 people have been killed and thousands were forced to flee their homes after floods and landslides hit the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, an official said Saturday.

Some 6,700 people in 14 districts have been evacuated and are now living in shelters, schools, tents or mosques.

The number of the evacuees has doubled from Friday after the disaster mitigation officials managed to get access to previously isolated districts and update the figures.

Six people are still declared missing after the disaster.

"Many evacuees have started to go home and clean up their house because the rain is no longer intense today," head of local disaster mitigation agency Syamsibar, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP Saturday.

Gowa district was the worst hit with at least 45 people found dead.

Local government have set up public kitchens and emergency medical clinics for the displaced people and aid has started pouring into the affected districts, Syamsibar said.

Water has started to recede and access to transportation has slowly returned to normal.

Landslides and floods are common in Indonesia, especially during the monsoon season between October and April, when rains lash the vast Southeast Asian archipelago.