At least 10 people lost today their life in the Natuna area of Indonesia when houses were buried in mudslides triggered by torrential rains, the country’s disaster management agency said.

Junainah, the agency’s official in Riau Islands province, noted that the death toll could rise and that communications in the area had been cut.

“The weather is changing. The winds are still strong. The tidal waves are high,” he added.

His agency added in a statement that survivors have been evacuated from the Shirazan area, while a search and rescue team has been dispatched there.

Photos released by the agency show roofs of buildings and trees lying on the mud-filled ground amid torrential rain.

The affected area is on a remote island five hours by boat from the regional capital Natuna, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said in a statement.