CIRENDEU, Indonesia — Rescue officials say the number of people killed when a dam burst outside the Indonesian capital has climbed to 91. The toll is expected to rise, with more than 100 still missing.
The flooding occurred Friday when a large lake bordering a low-lying residential area southwest of Jakarta overflowed after a torrential downpour.
Water first cascaded over the rim of the Dutch-colonial dam and then, hours later, a huge section of the earth wall tore away, sending muddy water crashing into homes like a tsunami, tossing cars, toppling utility poles, and dragging bodies for miles.
Some residents blamed authorities Saturday, saying the 76-year-old dam had been poorly maintained. They said blocked spillways had led to repeated flooding over the years, weakening it in several points.
Four field hospitals were set up to accommodate more than 180 injured, said Rustam Pakaya, an official with the government crisis center.
“We’ve evacuated almost all of the survivors from their houses,” said National Disaster Coordinating Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono.
Search-and-rescue operations will continue for a week.
