Rescuers search for the missing after Bali flash floods leave at least 14 dead

Six more people killed in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province

Residents wade through floodwater after heavy rain in Denpasar, on the Indonesian island of Bali. AFP

Torrential rain since late on Tuesday triggered floods and landslides in seven districts. AFP

Rescuers carry the body of a victim. AP

A Hindu temple is inundated in Denpasar. AFP

Damaged and collapsed houses. AFP

People clean up their shop. EPA

Debris on a street. EPA

Military personnel help with the clean up. EPA

Residents clear debris stuck by a bridge. AFP

Floodwater at a traditional market. EPA

Rescuers searched for survivors in rivers and the rubble of devastated villages on Thursday after flash floods struck two provinces in Indonesia, including the tourist island of Bali.

Torrential rain that began on Monday caused flooding and landslides on Bali and in East Nusa Tenggara province, killing at least 20 people with six more missing.

Rain caused rivers to burst their banks and tear through nine cities and districts in Bali, while mud and rocks from dozens of landslides tumbled on to mountainside villages.

Rising rivers submerged at least 120 neighbourhoods, said Abdul Muhari, a National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman.

Rescuers on Thursday retrieved five more bodies as the floods receded in Bali, Mr Muhari said, bringing the death toll on the island to 14. Two residents were still missing.

As river levels returned to normal, people in Denpasar, Bali's capital, were living in emergency shelters. They found streets covered in mud and cars lying upside down or piled up in narrow alleys. Pavements were strewn with sandals, cooking pots and old photographs.

People wade through a flooded street after heavy rain in Badung, Bali. Reuters

Authorities began clearing away mud and removing piles of wet rubbish from the streets, and electricity was restored to tens of thousands of residences and businesses.

Heavy seasonal rain from about September to March frequently causes flooding and landslides in Indonesia.

Suharyanto, the head of Indonesia's disaster agency, told a press conference late on Wednesday that the threat of flooding in Bali was over.

Meanwhile, scores of rescuers were searching through a river around the remote village of Mauponggo in East Nusa Tenggara, where floods left mud, rocks and trees.

A house is inundated by floodwaters in Denpasar. AFP

Rescuers were focused on finding four people, including two toddlers, who were swept away along with 35 houses, local police chief Dewa Putu Suariawan said. Six other villagers were pulled out of floodwaters or mud on Wednesday.

Severe weather and rugged terrain have hampered rescue efforts and disrupted power, clean water and telecoms networks in 18 villages.

Flooding and landslides in the area also destroyed two bridges, two government offices, a plantation, rice fields, and killed livestock.