Flooding in East Timor leaves dozens dead and missing

Multiple disasters caused by torrential rains in eastern Indonesia and neighboring East Timor have left dozens of people dead and displaced thousands, the country's disaster relief agency said Monday.

More than 40 other people were missing.

Relief efforts were hampered by power cuts, blocked roads covered in thick mud and debris as well as the remoteness of some islands surrounded by choppy seas and high waves.

Hundreds of people fled submerged homes, some of which were carried off by the floodwaters.

The death toll reached 55 by Monday morning after the rains caused cold lava to tumble down the slopes of Ili Lewotolok volcano and hit several villages on Lembata Island.

Authorities were still collecting information about the full scale of casualties and damage in the affected areas.

Seasonal rains frequently cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.