LEMBATA, April 6 (AFP) - Tropical cyclone Seroja pounded Indonesia and Timor-Leste on Monday (Apr 5) after torrential rains triggered floods and landslides that have killed at least 113 people and left dozens more missing.
Packing heavy winds and rain, the storm heaped more misery on the Southeast Asian nations after Sunday's disaster turned small communities into wastelands of mud, uprooted trees and forced thousands of people into shelters.
Downpours are expected over the next day as the storm triggers offshore waves as high as six metres, Indonesia's disaster agency said.
The cyclone, which was picking up strength as it moved towards the west coast of Australia, hampered efforts to reach trapped survivors.
At least 86 people have been killed in Indonesia, with another 71 missing, while 27 have died in Timor-Leste, a tiny half-island nation of 1.3 million that lies between Indonesia and Australia.