At least five people were killed in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi as flooding in the number of regions intensified due to heavy rains, RIA Novosti reported citing Jakarta Post daily on Monday, January 7.

According to information from the National Search and Rescue Agency, floods caused damages to thousands of houses and public facilities with waters up to two meters deep in some areas.

“We are still evaluating the exact number of affected houses and damaged properties,” the daily quoted South Sulawesi Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Mappagio as saying.

South Sulawesi Deputy Governor Agus Arifin Nu’mang said if heavy downpours continued the authorities would have to seek Navy assistance to evacuate people from remote areas.