Flash floods in western Indonesia kill two, quake hits Philippines

Indonesian authorities on Thursday said flash floods in Indonesia's western province of Aceh left two dead and one missing while damaging hundreds of houses, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.

Heavy downpours led to flash floods in Aceh Tenggara and Aceh Barat districts, according to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesperson of the Indonesian National Board of Disaster Managerment (BNPB).

Strong current carrying woods and other materials damaged 298 houses, forcing scores of people to evacuate and take shelters in mosques and other safer areas, Sutopo added.

Three people who were swept away by the floods have been rescued while the search for the missing has been underway.

Military personnel and rescuers have undertaken emergency relief efforts, including providing food and medicine for the affected people.

Indonesia is often hit by flash floods and landslides during heavy rain.

The same day, the Philippines Seismology Research centre said a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck the southern region of the country.

According to the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), this was the strongest aftershock of a six-magnitude earthquake which occurred one day before.

The quake's epicentre was located 47 kilometres west of Wao mountainous town in Mindanao's Lanao del Sur province at a depth of 10 kilometres.

Phivolcs said the quake could also cause damage, particularly in the town closest to the epicentre. -- Bernama