News | Living & Travel
14 Sep 2025 17:27
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Living & Travel

    Indonesia floods death toll rises as Australian woman thanks her dogs for saving her life

    Authorities are still cleaning up following the disaster, which hit two islands in the archipelago amid warnings more rain could fall in affected areas in coming days.


    The number of people killed in Indonesia's flash flood disaster has risen to 19 as an Australian living in Bali recalls the moment her dogs saved her life as water inundated her home. 

    At least 14 people died in Bali and another two people are still missing after heavy rains and flash flooding hit the popular tourist hotspot on Wednesday.

    Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (NDMA) said flooding on Flores island killed five people, including a young child.

    More than 500 people have been evacuated, with schools and village halls and mosques converted into makeshift shelters.

    "Officers are still carrying out emergency response efforts such as searching for victims and managing floods and landslides that have impacted the public," NDMA spokesman Abdul Muhari said. 

    Australian Shelly Anissa Sulatumena has lived in Indonesia for 15 years and told ABC's The World she has never experienced anything like the flash flooding this week.

    "This time of year, we normally don't get rain. It's dry season. It came out of nowhere," Ms Anissa Sulatumena said.

    She said her dogs were making a "really weird sound" and she went to check on them on Wednesday, before the floodwater that had inundated her home in Denpasar knocked her off her feet.

    She eventually reached her dogs and found them "up to their necks" in water and locked in their cage, unable to leave because the water had closed the gate.

    "They were screaming for help, basically. If I hadn't heard them, they would have drowned as well," she said holding back tears.

    The Australian, who lives with a physical disability, said they were heroes for alerting her to the danger.

    She said the flooding blocked her from accessing her wheelchair, so she barricaded herself in her bedroom, where the water level was lower, and tried to keep the water out using blankets and towels.

    A security guard from a friend's charity eventually rode his bike through the water to check on her.

    He helped get her wheelchair but there was no way for her or her dogs to leave.

    A neighbour then clambered through the floodwaters and over her fence to open her home's doors, which dropped the water height enough to leave.

    "We've lost lot of furniture. Beds have to be thrown out and wardrobes and TV cabinets. Anything that was wood, basically, has to be thrown out," she said.

    She said there was no official advanced warning that the flooding would occur.

    Neighbourhoods are continuing clean-up efforts, but the Australian said the water had not entirely receded in some areas and added that some roads had suffered significant damage, including sinkholes.

    Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said in a statement this week that moderate rain could return in provinces including Bali between Friday and Monday.

    ABC/wires

    © 2025 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

     Other Living & Travel News
     14 Sep: Marakopa fugitive Tom Phillips spent several months outdoors learning bushcraft and survival skills at one of New Zealand's most prestigious private schools
     14 Sep: One Dunedin resident has woken up 10 million dollars richer after winning the must-be-won Powerball jackpot
     13 Sep: Must-be-won Powerball: $10 million
     13 Sep: Nearly one in five construction workers have contemplated suicide
     13 Sep: The Powerball's reached ten million dollars in a must be won prize tonight, as Lotto prepares for a technology upgrade
     13 Sep: Young artists are a key focus this year as Wellington's biggest community arts trail gets underway today
     12 Sep: Acting Silver Ferns coach Yvette McCausland-Durie admits she's a temporary office-bearer in a tricky situation
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    All Blacks coach Scott Robertson accepts the worst defeat in the side's history wasn't up to the side's standards More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Kiwisaver could have some room for improvement with the number of people contributing dropping More...



     Today's News

    Business:
    Kiwisaver could have some room for improvement with the number of people contributing dropping 16:57

    Rugby:
    All Blacks coach Scott Robertson accepts the worst defeat in the side's history wasn't up to the side's standards 16:47

    International:
    How to give your indoor plants a spring clean 16:47

    Rugby League:
    The Warriors women have ended their NRLW season on a high, with a 44-6 thumping of the Wests Tigers in Sydney 16:17

    International:
    Donald Trump's health chief, RFK Jr, is dividing Republicans on vaccines 16:07

    Politics:
    Around half of Queensland patients are waiting over 30 minutes on stretchers as ramping 'worst on record' 15:47

    Athletics:
    Field athlete Lauren Bruce has failed to advance to the women's hammer throw final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo 15:27

    Law and Order:
    Police are pleased a planned gang-related gathering in Tairawhiti happened without any issues this weekend 15:27

    Accident and Emergency:
    A person's died following a single-vehicle crash in Manawatu, west of Palmerston North 14:57

    Rugby League:
    The Warriors may be out of the NRL playoffs, but coach Andrew Webster believes the club has won the battle of the fans 14:37


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd