Bougainville president Joseph Kabui, who was elected in June as part of a UN-sponsored peace plan that ended a decade-long civil war on the island, told the newspaper that one person was known to have died in the flooding and several more were missing.

Rivers in the center and south of the island burst their banks following several weeks of heavy rains, Kabui said.

"Its a very serious issue and most villages and lives of people are under threat of continuous floods and high sea tides," Kabui told the newsaper.

The flooding wiped out food gardens and cash crops and killed many domestic animals, especially in the region of Siwa where the island's second biggest river, the Mibo, caused widespread destruction.

"A villagers body has been recovered along the bank of the river, but the unofficial report is that more (people) must be still missing, Kabui said.

Kabui was due to fly by helicopter to some of the worst hit areas on Monday to assess the damage and plan emergency assistance, the newspaper said.

Kabui's Autonomous Government of Bougainville took office in June following elections held under a 2001 UN-brokered peace agreement that ended a 10-year rebellion which left more than 10,000 dead on the island.

The peace agreement is due to culminate in a referendum on full independence from the central government in 10-15 years.

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