Ammon News - At least 14 people were killed after being swept away by flash floods in Indonesia's North Sulawesi, an official said on Tuesday, as the search for the missing continued.

Heavy rain early on Monday triggered flash floods on the island of Siau, located in the region of Siau Tagulandang Biaro, said Nuriadin Gumeleng, a spokesperson for the local rescue agency.

Sixteen rescuers have been deployed to search for four people who remain missing on Tuesday, Gumeleng told Reuters, adding that 18 people had been injured so far.

"We continue to collect data from local residents in case there are more missing people," he said.

As of Tuesday, main roads in the affected areas were still covered by rocks, debris and thick mud, Gumeleneg said.

At least 444 people have been evacuated to local schools and churches after the flash floods, the country disaster mitigation agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement.

Authorities have deployed excavators to clear roads that have been blocked by the debris and mud, he said.

The floods also destroyed hundreds of houses and government buildings, North Sulawesi governor Yulius Selvanus said.