Mudslides kill 27 in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Mudslides triggered by flash floods in eastern Indonesia killed 27 people with at least five others reported missing, local officials and police said Tuesday.

The floods swept away 17 houses on Flores island, 1,030 miles east of the capital of Jakarta, said Paulinus Domi, head of the local district of Ende. Police said they were searching for survivors late Tuesday in three villages hit by the flooding.

The mudslides also damaged bridges, cut off phone lines to remote villages and forced authorities to close the local airport.

Domi said the floods rushed through the area around 10 p.m. Monday, while most residents were sleeping.

More than three feet of fast-moving water rushed down from Meja Mountain and carried away everything in its path.

The village of Ndunga -- made up of 150, poorly built houses -- had many of its homes damaged. In nearby Ende, flooding inundated hundreds of houses and authorities were preparing to move residents to higher ground.

"The floods happened so fast," Domi said. "It's a sad situation and people are scared there will be more floods and landslides. I can't imagine what might happen if we get more rain."

Flooding and mudslides have killed more than 100 people on several Indonesian islands since the current rainy season began in late November. Many of the disasters have been blamed on deforestation caused by rampant illegal logging.