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JAKARTA: Indonesia’s famed tourist island, Bali, was in a state of emergency on Thursday after it was inundated by severe flash flooding that left at least 14 people dead.

A torrential downpour this week triggered flooding across seven regions in Bali, including its provincial capital Denpasar, as multiple rivers burst their banks and tore through parts of the island. 

Although the rain has stopped and water levels receded in most areas, the Bali provincial government has declared a week-long state of emergency, as hundreds of rescuers continue draining affected areas and searching for survivors. 

“A joint response team is still conducting emergency operations, including searching for survivors and flood and landslide control,” Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said in a statement. 

The Bali Search and Rescue Agency said at least three people were still missing on Thursday, while more than 500 people in Denpasar and Jembrana regency remained in temporary shelters.

The severe flooding in Bali had blocked major roads a day earlier, including access to the island’s international airport. Most of the deluge was reported in Denpasar, with the heavy rain also triggering landslides in 27 areas. 

Suharyanto, who heads the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said that the floods damaged at least 474 kiosks and small shophouses in art and public markets, while submerging hundreds of other houses and buildings. 

“The floods were caused by high rainfall intensity resulting from a natural phenomenon known as the Rossby-Kelvin waves. For the next few days, rainfall caused by these waves will no longer affect Bali because it’s moving to the west,” he said in a press conference. 

Suharyanto said that authorities are planning to move quickly into the reconstruction phase, adding that the state of emergency will allow the central government to provide assistance to the regional government as part of a collaborative post-disaster response. 

As Indonesia’s top tourist destination, Bali welcomed more than 6.3 million international travelers and 10.1 million domestic tourists last year.

Heavy rain also caused flooding this week in East Nusa Tenggara province, where at least five people were killed and three others were missing. 

VILNIUS: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s government has freed 52 political prisoners, his Lithuanian counterpart said on Thursday, crediting US efforts to secure their release.
President Gitanas Nauseda wrote on X that “52 prisoners safely crossed the Lithuanian border from Belarus today,” including six Lithuanians, saying he was “deeply grateful” for Washington and President Donald Trump’s involvement.
According to the state news agency Belta, 14 with foreign citizenship were among those freed — six Lithuanians, two Latvians, two Poles, two Germans, one French national and a Briton.
Trump has pushed Belarus to free political prisoners in contacts with Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who has ruled since 1994, stamping out free media and political opposition.