30 killed in floods and landslides in central Indonesia

Flash floods and landslides in central Indonesia have killed at least 30 people, a senior health official said Monday, predicting the toll would rise as rescuers reach remote areas in the disaster zone.

Days of torrential rains have inundated dozens of villages on Sulawesi island, said Rustam Pakaya, head of health ministry's crisis center.

"Rescuers have found at least 30 bodies," he said, adding that rice, instant noodles, blankets, medicine and other emergency supplies were being distributed to thousands of people who have been forced to flee their homes.

Seasonal downpours cause dozens of landslides and flash floods each year in Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous regions and near fertile flood plains close to rivers.

Some environmentalists and government officials blame landslides on rampant deforestation, which they contend loosens soils on mountainsides.