Indonesia: Fifteen Missing After Floods in Papua

At least 15 people, mostly children, are missing after floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall in the Papua province of Indonesia.

According to Alfredo Agustinus Rubiak, the police chief of the Nduga region, 13 of the missing are children aged 8 to 17. The children were heading home after playing volleyball and attempted to cross a river when the floods occurred.

Initially, the children took refuge on rocks, but the strong current swept them away. Landslides further injured some of the children.

Residents, police, military personnel, and the local disaster management agency are continuing the search for the missing. The rescue operation is difficult due to the rocky terrain and the area being considered a "red zone" in terms of security.

Authorities need a helicopter to reach the area, as access on foot requires an eight-hour hike from the nearest town.