INDONESIA SEES FEWER DISASTERS IN SEPTEMBER 2025 BUT MORE DEATHS

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- Indonesia recorded fewer natural disasters in September 2025 compared with a year earlier, but the death toll increased, driven by deadly flooding on the resort island of Bali, the country's disaster agency said.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported 176 disasters across Indonesia in its monthly report, marking a 46 per cent decrease from 327 incidents in September 2024.

"However, 34 people were killed and 13 went missing, up from a total of 29 deaths and disappearances a year earlier," the agency stated.

The figures were compiled by BNPB's Data and Information Systems Division (PDSI), sourced from the Disaster Management Operations Control Centre (Pusdalops PB).

The worst tragedy struck Bali Province on Sept 9, when torrential rains triggered floods that killed 18 people and left four others missing.

Other fatalities were reported in Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, where six people died in flash floods, and in Ogan Komering Ulu Selatan, South Sumatra, where two were killed.

BNPB said hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, landslides, extreme weather and forest fires dominated, accounting for over 96 per cent of all incidents.

Despite the overall decline, floods and landslides increased, while forest and land fires fell sharply from 185 incidents last year to 59 this year.

The September disasters displaced more than 148,000 people, injured 49, and damaged 3,717 homes, most of them due to flooding.

Another 16,000 houses were inundated, along with public facilities, schools, places of worship and bridges, the agency said.

The five provinces recording the highest number of natural disasters last month were Central Java, East Java, Central Kalimantan, Aceh and North Sumatra.

Looking ahead, BNPB warned of heightened disaster risks in October 2025, noting that based on a 10-year trend, October is among Indonesia's most disaster-prone months.

Data indicate a sharp rise in disaster frequency during October, peaking between 2020 and 2023 at more than 400 incidents per month, with both floods and extreme weather as the main contributors.

-- BERNAMA